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Summary: ICLASS-2006
Aug.27-Sept.1, 2006, Kyoto, Japan
1. INTRODUCTION
Laser treatment of various hypervascular dermatoses,
particularly port wine stains, has become common practice
in recent years[1, 2]. Laser light of an appropriate
wavelength (585 nm) is used because it is highly absorbed
by the target chromophore, hemoglobin, within the
vasculature. This absorption of energy induces the desired
thermal necrosis of the hypervascular lesions. However,
melanin within the epidermis also absorbs a wide spectrum
of light energy. To avoid epidermal injury by heating, a
method of precooling using a short duration refrigerant
spray has found widespread acceptance because of the
high heat fluxes possible and precise control of cooling
duration[3]. Thus, rapid and spatially selective cooling of
the epidermis is possible without lowering the temperature
of the deeper-seated target chromophores. With precooling,
the epidermis is kept below the damage threshold during
heating of the tissue by the subsequent laser pulse.
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