Xenon chloride 308-nm excimer lasers

 can treat a variety of dermatological conditions including psoriasis, vitiligo, atopic dermatitis, alopecia areata and leukoderma.
MEL@308nm (Monochromatic Excimer Light @ 308nm) is Deka's innovative monochromatic excimer light source.
The state-of-the-art in phototherapy for the treatment of psoriasis and vitiligo, it uses the most effective wavelength, offering numerous advantages over equivalent treatments with excimer lasers. In fact, with the MEL@308nm laser it is possible to selectively treat lesions, even when extensive, in only a few seconds without involving the healthy skin. The total irradiation is reduced to a minimum, combining the great therapeutic benefits of this wavelength with the safety of limited exposure to ultraviolet rays. A few weeks' treatment eliminates symptoms for several months. Treatment is extremely well tolerated, painless and with hardly any impact on the patient's working and social activities.
Experimentation has demonstrated the efficacy of Deka's MEL@308nm light sources for the clinical symptoms of psoriasis on elbows, knees, back, soles of the feet, and palms of the hand, generating prolonged remission of the disease and considerably enhancing the patient's quality of life.
Trials on vitiligo have demonstrated cases with an acceptable to excellent degree of re-pigmentation on the face, neck, back, abdomen, and limbs.
 

What is Psoriasis?
Psoriasis is chronic, relapsing, non-contagious dermatosis with an unpredictable evolution, usually characterised by roundish erythematous-desquamative patches on the elbows, knees, scalp, palms of the hand, soles of the feet, and at times involving the whole body.
It is not contagious, occurs frequently (in 2-3% of the population) and affects both sexes of all ages.
 

What is vitiligo?
This is an acquired pigmentation disorder in the form of depigmentated areas lacking in skin melanin. Vitiligo patches often have irregular, well-defined borders without any atrophy or hyperkeratosis.
Vitiligo affects 1-2% of the population worldwide of all ages, races, and sex.
 

How it Works
Molecular biology and immunohistochemical studies have demonstrated how irradiation of the skin with MEL@308nm causes a precocious reduction of the T-lymphocytes of the infiltrate at both an epidermal and dermal level within 24 to 48 hours, even after only one session.
This suggests that the MEL@308nm light source has a direct effect on the cellular infiltrate, demonstrated by the drastic decrease in the expression of inflammatory cytokines involved in the pathogenetic mechanism of psoriasis (IL-6, IL-8, TGF-α, TNF-α and INF-γ).
After treatment, a rapid increase in the expression of the mediatric proteins of the apoptotic process (p53) is recorded, combined with a reduced expression of the anti-apoptotic proteins (Bcl-2) and the cellular proliferation process (Ki-67).
Even after just one treatment, the thickening of the nuclear chromatin of the epidermal layers is the earliest sign of the beginning of the apoptotic process, and clearly indicates that the route followed by the epidermis and the infiltrate towards healing is that of programmed cell death.


TATTOO REMOVAL

The first tattoos date back to over 5,000 years ago, and the desire to remove them probably also dates to the same time. It is estimated that more than ten million people have been tattooed in the USA alone. Approximately one third of people with tattoos at some point of their lives decide to remove them. In the past this desire was always counterbalanced by the risk of permanent scarring, often worse than the tattoos themselves.
It was only with the advent of QS (Quality factor - Switched laser) laser technology that it became possible to develop systems for removing tattoos in an effective, non-invasive manner.
There are many different types of tattoos: ethnic, or class tattoos (which identify a group or social class), symbolic tattoos (sentimental, sexual, or religious), cosmetic tattoos, and traumatic tattoos.
It is important to analyse the tattoo carefully before starting treatment to remove it. A tattoo consists mainly of an exogenous chromophore injected into the skin. The ink particles are phagocyted by the fibroblasts of the derma and remain permanently confined to the upper layer of the skin.
The density and depth of the ink are the most important factors influencing the results of tattoo-removing treatment. For example, amateur tattoos require a different treatment from professional tattoos. Carbon-based black ink is usually used for amateur tattoos, with low-density pigment located at different depths in the skin. Instead, professional tattoos consist of various coloured pigments and have a very high ink density at a very uniform depth in the skin. Given their specific characteristics, amateur tattoos normally require fewer sessions to be removed than professional tattoos.