The Discovery PICO Series laser platforms from Quanta System SpA (Samarate, Varese, Italy) are designed for versatility as well as safety and efficacy, harnessing the company’s laser expertise to give users top level performance in a variety of cosmetic applications. It is excellent for both newto-practice aesthetic physicians and laser veterans alike because of its ease of use, predictability and consistency of treatment, as well as its utility.
Discovery PICO’s numerous standout features are headed by an industry leading peak power of 1.8 GW. “On the market today there are at least a halfdozen picosecond lasers and counting,” said Mark B. Taylor, M.D., founder and medical director of Gateway Aesthetic Institute and Laser Center (Salt Lake City, Utah). “High power means we can deliver a range of fluence levels in a greater variety of spot sizes, which other lasers cannot do because of the inverse relationship between spot size and fluence. In my opinion many of them are underpowered, so to be truly effective you must reduce spot size to achieve the requisite fluence. To maximize fluence in a larger spot you need more power, which Discovery PICO has plenty of, making treatment more rapid.”
This aspect highlights the need for beam homogeneity, managed by OptiBeam II Technology, which assures a perfectly flat top hat beam profile to maintain uniform fluence and prevent unwanted concentrations of energy that increase the risk of side effects. “The laser can also produce a square spot, which makes it easier to treat rapidly and consistently with confidence.”
The standard Discovery PICO system harnesses Quanta’s proprietary laser technology using the 532 nm and 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser wavelengths. Discovery PICO Plus is the first system adding a third wavelength, the ruby 694 nm, which is ideal for targeting notoriously difficult light blue and green tattoo ink. Furthermore, these wavelengths are not dye converter based. “This gives you three wavelengths in one laser, which cuts the cost of needing additional systems without sacrificing power,” Dr. Taylor explained. “Notably, the use of a dye converter reduces fluence making lasers less effective.”
Featuring Quattropulse Technology, Discovery PICO can use any of four emission modes, each with distinct pulse structures for specific applications. Picosecond and Q-switched modes enable standard pico and nanosecond uses such as tattoo removal, pigment and many other skin treatments. “This is especially useful for tattoos because it allows us to effectively treat any tattoo using a single system,” Dr. Taylor added. “The OptiPulse and PhotoThermal modes allow users to deliver longer pulses for treating other conditions, such as acne.” Discovery PICO also features an 8 mm fractional handpiece with microlens array for tattoo removal and skin indications in addition to a 9 mm holographic round handpiece ideal for pigmented lesions.
Further expanding its versatility and profitability, Discovery PICO Series systems can be upgraded with the Twain 2940 fractionated Er:YAG handpiece, and Twain IPL, a top pulsed light offering with onboard chilled tip cooling. “Overall, the Discovery PICO system is very robust, high powered, efficient, safe, effective, versatile and reliable,” Dr. Taylor concluded. “That’s what we’re looking for in a laser system.”
