by Joan Trombetti

This article is from in the March 2008 issue of DOTmed Business News. A list of registered users that provide sales & service can be found at the end.

For years, mentioning the word laser evoked an image of James Bond, Auric Goldfinger and the latter's intent on using one to carve 007 in half.

But times have changed. Today lasers are used for healing not mayhem.

The word laser, incidentally, is an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. Applications include: the removal of tumors and cysts, sealing small blood vessels to prevent blood loss, sealing lymph vessels in order to alleviate swelling and stop the spread of cancer cells, vision correction, vein ablation, oral surgery and treating skin conditions. In addition, lasers are used to treat chest pain, ectopic pregnancy, endometriosis, fibroid tumors, gallstones, nosebleeds, ovarian cysts, ulcers and many other disorders, diseases and conditions. And given the inexorability of technological advances, experimentation and research, the sky's the limit on how many additional uses loom. The American Society for Laser Medicine, for example, says that more than 50 medical specialties already employ the technology.

Doing Homework Important Before Buying

There are, as you would expect of a technology driven discipline, a wide range of lasers available for medical treatments: the carbon dioxide (CO2) laser, the Neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser, Dioxide and Pulsed Dye lasers. Others include the Erbium, Alexandrite, Plasma, Ruby and Holmium lasers, all used either in medicine or cosmetics.

Scott Jacobs, Director of Business Development, Nova Star Medical Equipment, Livonia, MI says, "Like any medium in the medical field, especially pertaining to surgery, laser technical advances seem to be occurring on a daily basis." He added, "Laser technology is truly amazing. Surgeons and trained technicians are now able to do procedures never thought possible with greater speed, allowing for a much quicker recovery time for patients."

Nova Star's right in the thick of the competition, offering IPL (intense pulse light), ND:YAG, Alexandrite, Pulse dye, Diode, CO2, cellulite reduction systems and microdermabraders.

As for doing the homework necessary to just sort through Nova Star's catalog, Jacobs says laser buyers tend to overbuy. "Doctors and spa owners need to do more market research before they go out and buy a top of the line laser or IPL system. Many times they will be paying for features they'll never use or need."

Another potential problem arises sometimes when the buyer gets a little too cute. Buyers should understand that the aesthetic and cosmetic laser equipment community is a very small one. When customers play two or three companies against one another, the equipment re-sellers and brokers find out. End result is the buyer ends up spending more money in the long run. But if buyers are up front with the company they choose to work with from the start; they will get what they want -- at a price they want to pay -- without the headache. "This allows for a new relationship where trust won't be an issue for future transactions, and both buyers and sellers both feel comfortable and everybody wins," he says.




That view is supported by Andrea Pezzano, Director of International Marketing, Sciton, Inc., Palo Alto, CA. "Buyers tend to overlook the real capabilities that a laser has to offer, and at times they are confused or mislead by the complexity of the technologies."

One persistent question about the sales and service of lasers is whether a buyer has to be certified to purchase equipment. Pezzano says it depends on the state where the equipment is purchased. As a matter of policy, Sciton only sells to physicians. The company believes that only a physician or a medical practitioner under a physician's supervision should operate laser equipment. Among Sciton's top products, the ProfileT, high performance laser system, includes up to five laser and light modules and is available in over 30 different configurations. It's used for skin peels, high-sped hair reduction, photorejuvenation, vascular, pigmented lesions, acne, acne scars, wrinkles and more."

Opportunities Abound for Laser Service Companies

With the laser market growing at an impressive rate, the service side of the business is burgeoning.

John Crownover, President, Laser Scientific, Round Rock TX, says that many laser buyers focus too much on price and overlook service, warranty and support after the sale. "Lasers should be regularly maintained according to the manufacturer's requirements," he says. Regular maintenance mostly guarantees that a physician minimizes his exposure to liabilities. Plus, routine check ups spot trouble before the damage becomes too extreme or costly.

Crownover suggests that a typical maintenance visit can cost as much as $2000 (adding travel expenses and time into the equation). "While this may seem costly," he says, "when compared to the cost of canceling and rescheduling 10-20 patients, it's quite inexpensive."

Laser Scientific designs and manufactures products for the cosmetic and aesthetic laser industry and provides on-site laser service and repair supporting Lumenis/Coherent, Candela, GentleLASE, GeltleLASE Plus and Laserscope to name a few.

Service is the priority at JLJ United, Inc., Austin TX, which focuses on three separate areas of service. Company president Geoffrey Loveless says his technicians first ensure that all the components are functioning according to the textbook. Technicians then focus on the machine's energy output and efficiency. "We also make sure it's properly calibrated," says Loveless, adding that it's then restored to "like new" condition.

Loveless, another proponent of preventative maintenance, provides a program that initially costs $1,500 and includes calibrations set to OEM specifications.

Mike Moreno, President, MedPro, Inc. Marlton, NJ, is a stickler for procedure. And when it comes to refurbished cosmetic, medical and ophthalmic lasers he says each one should be calibrated and inspected before delivery to a customer.




"This is complicated technology, and it is essential that it meets OEM specs 100 percent upon delivery," he says. Moreno suggests manufacturers should emphasize the importance of performing routine maintenance on pre-owned medical lasers. If practiced, most major problems can be avoided.

MedPro sells pre-owned medical aesthetic lasers and IPL devices. Moreno says pre-owned lasers allow hospitals and other facilities to improve patient care and yet remain competitive by upgrading existing equipment at reasonable costs. He's a big fan of the Internet, which has allowed many companies to reach physicians, plastic surgeons, dermatologists, hospitals, private practices and clinics throughout the globe who are not only looking for a greater selection of equipment, but want the re-seller to provide an expanded range of services like logistics, reconditioning and warranty extension.

Repairing exhausted laser tubes

CO2 laser tubes can last anywhere from 10 to 20,000 hours depending on usage and the volume of gas contained within the laser tube. Typically, laser tubes come with some type of reservoir to maintain longevity, along with the proper mixture of laser gases. Photovac Laser, Grove City, OH, customize laser tubes for automated applications, and according to the company's President, Chris Zelich, "A used laser tube may be regassed and/or rebuilt to like-new condition and almost any core of a CO2 (Argon/Krypton) laser tube can be remanufactured to its original condition." Photovac Laser also offers accessories including circuit boards, power supplies, laser heads, computer-aided design and "glass blowing". "We support chemical distillation and fiber optic extrusion needs with our glass blowing services," says Zelich.

Blazing ahead in the field of laser technology

Laser Energetics, Inc., Mercerville, NJ, offers unique laser technology in which the laser can be conductively air-cooled to compete favorably against water cooled lasers in cosmetic and dental laser applications such as hair removal, tattoo removal and teeth cleaning.

CEO, Robert D. Battis said that the company is ramping up their development and production capabilities for this BrightStarTM Alexandrite laser system, thanks to a $12 million dollar investment from a company that Laser Energetics has a relationship with. "This investment allows us to bring both new technology and refinements to our existing technologies to the market in a very rapid fashion," Battis says.

Baby Boomers Boost Medi-Spa Industry

Because of the demand, particularly from the baby boomer demographic, for cosmetic laser treatments, competition in the cosmetic equipment industry is stiff.

Prices for laser procedures and equipment are on the defensive, enabling health spas, salons and other facilities to make laser treatments available. It's estimated that of the $2 billion plus spent annually on laser treatments, about 40% goes for such cosmetic procedures as hair removal and skin resurfacing.

Baby boomers definitely are the driving force in the medi-spa market. According to the U.S. Medi-Spa Market Report for 2007, in a little more than a decade, the U.S. medi-spa market has grown from virtually nothing to almost a $1 billion dollar a year market. Though some are concerned about too many unqualified and unsupervised technicians making perhaps too many mistakes while carrying out these sophisticated procedures, it's expected that the medi-spa market's future is especially robust.

Generally, medi-spa programs are run under the supervision of a licensed healthcare professional, utilizing lasers and intense pulsed light (IPL) technology to carry out treatments for varicose veins, dermal filler injections, Botox injections, laser hair removal, microdermabrasions and more.

A fully equipped medi-spa will have multiple systems for specific procedures, offering patients a total solution. MedPro has set up over 400 medi-spas since 2001, and co-owns a comprehensive laser center in New Jersey that has an on-site plastic surgeon. MedPro's philosophy is that if their customers receive safe treatments with great efficacy, they will be back for additional, sometimes more aggressive, treatments, such as fractional resurfacing, laser lipolysis, skin tightening, fillers and injectables.

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DOTmed Registered Surgical & Cosmetic Lasers Sales and Service Companies
Names in boldface are Premium Listings.

Domestic
Karen Hawk, MedPro, Inc., AZ
Andrea Pezzano, Sciton, Inc., CA
Kelly Clark, New Laser Science, Inc., CA
David Spirko, Laser Labs, Inc., FL
DOTmed Certified
Scott Jacobs, NovaStar Medical Equipment, Inc., MI
Mike Moreno, MedPro, Inc., NJ
DOTmed Certified
Chris Zelich, Photovac Laser, OH
Jason Hamm, Lifeline Medical, Inc., TN
Brian Sanders, SSI Laser Engineering, Inc., TN
Geoffrey Loveless, JLJ United, Inc., TX
DOTmed Certified
George Beach, Medical Purchasing Resource, LLC, TX
DOTmed Certified
John Crownover, Laser Scientific, TX
DOTmed Certified
Philip Mothena, Simple Solutions, Inc., VA
Lee Atkins, Advanced Medical, Inc, WA
DOTmed Certified

International
Alex Boschi, Lambda, Italy

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