Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 18, 2026
Assessment of the Cytotoxic and Immunomodulatory Effects of Substances in Human Precision-cut Lung Slices
Published on: May 9, 2018
A histopathological comparison of "char-free" carbon dioxide lasers
A N Kauvar1, H A Waldorf, R G Geronemus
1Laser and Skin Surgery Center of New York, New York, USA.
Background:
New "char-free" carbon dioxide lasers are capable of precise tissue vaporization with minimal residual thermal damage. These lasers operate either by producing high energy, rapid pulses or by scanning a highly focused continuous mode beam.
Objective:
To determine the depth of ablation and the depth of residual thermal injury produced with one to three passes of the pulsed and scanned systems.
Methods:
The distal ends of preauricular donor skin from 12 patients requiring full-thickness skin grafts following Mohs micrographic surgery were treated with zero to three passes of each of the lasers, and fixed for histopathological analysis.
Results:
The three lasers tested produced vaporization of thin (20-50 microns) layers of tissue and narrow (20-150 microns) zones of thermal injury following one, two, or three passes on intact skin.
Conclusion:
The pulsed and scanned technologies are capable of producing "char-free" tissue ablation with minimal residual thermal damage.
