Erbium Resurfacing

The Contour TRL (Tunable Resurfacing Laser) is a full-field skin resurfacing solution, capable of a wide variety of treatment options. From a shallow MicroLaserPeel® (up to 50µm of ablation) to deep resurfacing (up to 200µm of ablation per pass, with or without variable depth coagulation), the Contour TRL gives the physician exquisite control over surgical outcomes.

What makes the Sciton resurfacing laser truly unique among other resurfacing lasers is TRL technology, which provides independent control over the depth of ablation and coagulation with micron precision. TRL technology makes it easy to ablate as shallow or deep as you like, with or without coagulation. Competitive lasers, like CO2, have a fixed ratio of coagulation to ablation, and there is no way to separate the two. With CO2, coagulation always accompanies ablation, which often leads to suboptimal treatments and undesired side effects like hypopigmentation, sustained erythema, and prolonged recovery times.

Sciton’s TRL technology is different. Because the Contour TRL decouples ablation and coagulation and allows for precise application of each, practitioners can dial in the exact tissue effect needed for each patient’s pathology, desired outcome, and tolerance for downtime.

Better ablation through more efficient water absorption

The Contour TRL employs a dual-mode erbium:YAG laser that incorporates the pinnacle of resurfacing laser technology. Erbium has a much higher absorption in the target chromophore water than CO2 (see graph below) which gives erbium the ability to vaporize tissue with very little thermal conduction. By contrast, due to its comparatively low absorption by water, CO2 lasers conduct a significant amount of heat into the tissue. The clinical significance of erbium’s superior ablation efficiency should be a critical factor in deciding which laser to add to one’s practice. Studies have shown that erbium lasers produce far fewer side effects such as the prolonged erythema and hypopigmentation that are common with CO2 lasers.
TRL (Tunable Resurfacing Laser) technology

Erbium’s high water absorption is only part of the story. What truly sets the Contour apart is TRL technology, which gives the user the ability to adjust the depth of ablation and coagulation independently. By modulating the laser’s energy to deliver supra-ablative pulses, the Contour is able to vaporize any depth of tissue from 4 to 200 microns per pass with extreme precision. If coagulation is desired, sub-ablative laser energy is delivered in a train of pulses that heat the tissue to a selectable depth without vaporizing it.

The graph to the right shows a supra-ablative pulse (well above the ablation threshold) which vaporizes tissue to a controlled depth, followed by a train of sub-ablative pulses, which raise the tissue temperature.

With Contour TRL, the physician has the ability to precisely dial in the exact tissue effect desired – from pure ablation to pure thermal, and every combination in between. This unique ability is what gives the power to tailor treatments to each patient’s individual pathology, desired outcome, and tolerance for downtime. Simply stated, if you want the very best resurfacing results, Contour TRL is your solution.