Surgical Applications For CO2 Laser Technology
September 13th, 2010
See Video of Dr. Glassman CO2 laser procedure
Dr. Glassman’s “laser peel,” laser skin resurfacing usually takes less than 1½ hours (sometimes just a few minutes) depending on the size of the area being treated. The laser peel procedure uses a carbon dioxide (CO2) laser beam which vaporizes the upper layers of damaged skin at controlled levels of penetration. The laser procedure removes areas of damaged or wrinkled skin often caused by prolonged sun exposure. Laser skin resurfacing can minimize the appearance of fine lines around the mouth and the eyes and is also effective in treating facial scars and skin areas with uneven pigmentation..
Since its inception OmniGuide has introduced a new vision for fibers that guide light by virtue of a hollow core photonic bandgap structure. What initially began as an ambitious R&D effort, later culminated in the development of a unique manufacturing process for multimaterial fibers that has transformed the vision into a commercial reality. OmniGuide’s BeamPath™ CO2 laser fibers are currently used to deliver therapy to 1,000 patients per month in applications where precision is of paramount importance: Neurosurgery, Otology, Head & Neck Oncology, complex Airway Disease, Gynecology and Laparoscopy.
“OmniGuide’s 10 year anniversary represents a triumph of innovative vision and determined execution which has been based upon three important factors: rapid technological innovation, a corporate environment that attracts and motivates the best to do better, and a deep commitment to information-based decision making. Collectively, these have enabled our dedicated team to transform a dream into reality and to positively impact thousands of lives in the process” said Mr. Ray Stata, founder of Analog Devices and OmniGuide’s first investor.
The company’s proprietary fiber technology builds on MIT’s perfect mirror structure first described in1998 (Science) and the subsequent discovery in 2002 of a unique process for realizing these mirrors in fibers (Science and Nature). These discoveries paved the way for a new class of fibers made with polymer and semiconductor layers` exhibiting sub-100 nanometer layer thickness accuracy. The technology was licensed exclusively to OmniGuide by MIT.
Traditionally, surgeons needed to make a difficult trade-off between precision and minimally-invasive delivery. Surgical tools capable of operating within the body were imprecise while those that were precise could not be delivered using minimally invasive modalities. OmniGuide addressed this unmet clinical need by introducing a disposable scalpel that is both precise and flexible, specifically designed for enabling precision minimally invasive surgery. OmniGuide’s innovative technology delivers an unprecedented level of precision in cutting, combined with ablation and coagulation which is particularly valuable when working in the vicinity of critical structures within the human body. Between 2007 – 2009, the BeamPath CO2 laser fiber was launched for numerous surgical applications including Head & Neck Cancer, Otology and Neurosurgery. Omniguide has experienced rapid adoption of its disposable scalpels across these surgical specialties and plans to enter additional markets in the future including: Gynecology, Urology, Gastroenterology and Ophthalmology.
