“I had to withdraw from the Rogers Masters in Montréal due to a severe abdominal muscle strain. For the next two weeks, I had two laser treatments per day with the Theralase 1000 cluster laser, which accelerated the tissue healing and reduced the pain. In the next two tournaments I was runner-up at the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters at Cincinnati and I then clinched the Pilot Pen Tennis at New Haven. Theralase laser treatments were very helpful in accelerating my recovery time.”
James Blake
Ranked #14 professional tennis player in the world (2007)
Theralase Technology
Laser Design Parameters and Tissue Interaction
Wavelength
There are 3 main components of tissue that affect the absorption of light, specifically: water, haemoglobin (pigment that renders blood red) and melanin (pigment that gives skin its natural colour). The absorption curves for these three substances versus the laser wavelength will determine the precise impact that a particular laser will have on tissue.
This laser light has the unique properties of monochromaticity, (a single wavelength), coherence (travels in a straight line) and defined location (concentrated beam). These properties are what allow lasers to penetrate the skin surface, non-invasively, delivering energy directly to the cells which the cells then convert into chemical energy.
T. Oshiro, a leading expert on therapeutic medical lasers, testifies to the effectiveness of the 905nm laser in his book Low Level Laser Therapy: A Practical Introduction:
"The peak of tissue penetration is around 900 nm. This would appear to make the GaAlAs diode system the most effective LLLT (Low-Level Laser Therapy) system for penetrating to the desired depth. In addition the comparative cost of a GaAlAs makes it both financially and biomedically competitive. The near infrared GaAlAs diode laser systems are even more inexpensive than the HeNe systems, and are also proving more effective in therapy."
Power
The power of a laser determines how much energy is initially delivered to the tissue surface and along with the wavelength, the power at any given depth of penetration. Energy density (Joules / centimeter2) is equal to the power of the laser in watts multiplied by the treatment time in seconds, divided by the surface area irradiated in square centimetres.
Energy Density = (Power x Time) / Surface Area
Continuous versus Pulsed Wave Technology
A super pulsed laser such as the TheralaseTMtherapeutic medical laser uses a peak power of 50 Watts (50,000 mW) delivering this energy in a fraction of a second (200 billionth's of a second) for an average power output of 100 mW.
A super pulsed laser system has a peak power which is 500 times greater than the peak power of a continuous wave system of the same rating.
The TheralaseTM laser system achieves tissue penetration by delivering powerful bursts of energy versus a continuous output, which has difficulty penetrating different densities of tissue.
Delivery System of Laser Probes
In order for your laser system to provide optimal penetration through the skin it must be in direct contact with the skin and be at an incident angle of 90 degrees (perpendicular to the skin). This will minimise any reflection from the skin's surface and allow the best penetration into the tissue. The TheralaseTMtherapeutic laser system's unique design ensures each and every probe is always in direct contact with the skin surface, thus minimising surface reflection.
True Lasers versus Super-Luminous Diodes
True lasers such as the Theralaseä system focus all of their energy in one direction in a very concentrated line. A super-luminous diode, on the other hand, diffuses its energy in all directions with only a small percentage of the energy travelling in the direction of the treatment. A true laser system will deliver 90% more power to the treatment area than a super-luminous diode system of exactly the same power rating.
Time per Treatment Session
There is a large time benefit in choosing a laser system that will minimize the treatment time needed for a given treatment. The Theralase laser system with its multiple probes, allows treatment of up to 90% faster than the surface area of a single probe system. This translates into shorter treatment times and consequently the ability to treat more patients in a given day.