Page 69 - An Introduction to Laser Tattoo Removal

Chapter 2 – Fundamentals of Laser Tattoo Removal v1.0
DermaLase Limited (Mike’s first company) was the first company in the world to launch this system for commercial use in 1990.
References from the original clinical study:
Ritchie A. “The use of a Q-switched pulsed Ruby Laser to treat blue/black tattoos: an in-
vitro and clinical trial.” 1982. Ph.D Thesis, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. Reid WH, McLeod PJ, Ritchie A, Ferguson-Pell M. “Q-switched ruby laser treatment of
black tattoos.” Br J Plast Surg. 1983; 36(4): 455-459 – link.
Newstead J. ‘Assessment of laser/skin interactions by histologic and cytogenetic techniques’
1988. Ph.D. Thesis. University of Strathclyde, Glasgow - link.
Reid WH, Miller ID, Murphy MJ, Paul JP, Evans JH. “Q-switched Ruby Laser Treatment of Tattoos 1990: a 9-year experience.” Br J Plast Surg. 1990; 43(6): 663-669 – link.
QS Alexandrite laser
The Q-switched Alexandrite laser was launched some years after the original ruby systems into the US market, initially. This laser outputs a wavelength of 755nm which is a ‘deeper’ red than the ruby. Typically, these lasers output a longer pulsewidth than the ruby lasers, in the range 50 to 100 ns. This means that their peak powers were significantly lower than the ruby systems, which translates into lower peak temperatures on ink particle surfaces.
Some of the earlier devices required the alexandrite rod to be heated to a suitable temperature, around 75°C. This took some time, which made these systems a little slow to start up.
As with the ruby laser, this device also had the mythconception that it was ‘superior’ for green and light blue inks. As with the ruby, this was too simple an analysis!
What is a ‘Q-switch?’
A Q-switch is simply a device which ‘traps’ the light energy generated by the laser and then ‘releases’ it in a very short time – usually nanoseconds (watch video).
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Chapter 2 LEVEL A Laser Tattoo Removal
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