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KnowledgeBase Articles
Everything You Need, Nothing You Don't
NEED
Class IV power to treat large treatment volumes in short time
Aside from superficial wound treatments, laser treatment requires the delivery of dose at depth within the patient. The body greatly attenuates the amount of light delivered, and so the amount of light needed to be clinically therapeutic increases as the treatment volume increases (i.e. as the surface area of the treatment zone OR the depth of the injury increases). Delivering useful dose prescriptions to relevant anatomies in feasible treatment times requires Class IV power.
NEED
Wavelengths that penetrate and target biological chromophores
The therapeutic effects of light come from absorption on some key chromophores within tissues and constituent cells in the body. These materials, such as the mitochondria of cells and hemoglobin in the blood, have been shown to effectively absorb in the visible-to-near-infrared spectrum. Fortunately in this portion of the spectrum, there is also a window of translucency, where the barriers of penetration (like melanin and water) do not absorb very well at all, allowing for significantly deeper penetration of therapeutic light.
DON'T NEED
A wavelength that targets only water, only to produce heat
Since the body is made up of about 80% water, even wavelengths of light that absorb relatively weakly in water, still do in fact end up absorbed in water (they don’t continue in a beam through the body exiting the other side). So targeting water directly with a wavelength that coincides with a peak of water’s absorption (i.e. 960-980nm) leads to a quicker and more efficient conversion of light into heat. This inhibits penetration and leads to local thermal accumulation, which beyond simply heating the tissue, doesn’t have much benefit therapeutically. The key chromophores mentioned above (those that DO promote therapy) exponentially decrease in absorption efficiency above around 940nm.
NEED
Frequencies that span the range of the tissues in the body
The response of individual tissues in the body depends greatly on the delivery method of the therapy, in particular the pulse frequency of the light delivered. Bone and soft tissue are on opposite sides of this spectrum and so it is of utmost importance to use frequencies that span this therapeutic range, from 1 Hz all the way up to 15-25,000 Hz. In fact, in any given injury several tissues are often involved, and so each protocol should employ several frequencies to have highest probability of target each of the tissues present in the treatment volume/
DON'T NEED
Ten-to-Twelve ultra-short phases per treatment
When delivering each “phase” of treatment, there must be enough time to target the intended tissue type. If there are too many phases within a fixed treatment time, then the individual “phase” time is only a few seconds, and not nearly enough time to cover the entire treatment area. For example, eleven phases on a 2 minute treatment is 11 seconds per phase.
NEED
A quick and easy way to get a tailored protocol
There is a necessary balance between ease-of-use and the election of an appropriate protocol. The interface needs to be both useful and repeatable with no ambiguity. With precise programming, it is possible with three button-touches to differentiate a small post-surgical wound from the hip dysplasia of a large light-colored dog from the shoulder arthritis of a dark-haired cat.
DON'T NEED
To touch the screen 11 times to treat a dog, then to have to start all over to repeat the treatment
On most commercial lasers, there are only 3 virtual “knobs” to turn (i.e. power, frequency, and time) and often only two. Yet on some of these, there are over 10 selections to make. This false façade of complexity is meant to provide a sense of confidence in the precision of the therapy. Upon further inspection, however, you’d notice that only a couple of the protocol selections actually change any meaningful output parameters. Opting between arthritis and tendonitis of the same joint, for example, make no changes at all, nor should they. But then why the ambiguity and the forced selection?
NEED
Consistency from treatment to treatment (TOBI)
Treatment efficacy depends both on appropriate parameters and sound treatment technique. Consistency of parameters is easy with the 1-2-3 protocol selection process. Consistency of treatments comes with proper training and understanding of the principles of laser therapy. doctorVet’s treatment assistant TOBI teaches both with every treatment. Step-by-step guidance through every protocol in doctorVet’s arsenal including advice on how often to treat and how to modify treatments based on the patient response makes outcomes from laser therapy as predictable as possible.
DON'T NEED
On-board database to store default protocols just with different names and timestamps
No current laser has full integration with any practice management software (PMS), mostly because there are so many different PMS systems out there. If you want records of the history of your patients, whether laser treatments or anything else, you dont look to the device, you look to your PMS since it has all diagnostic and treatment information in one place. Also, since PMS serves as a valuable tool for identifying your candidate caseload for laser therapy, you would much rather have the information there up-to-date. No need for the dual data-entry.
NEED
Consistency from tech to tech (TOBI)
The last thing you want is a pet-owner requesting which technician they want to treat their animal. Your business is built on consistency and predictability regardless of which of your staff is attending to the patient. The key to this consistency is training. Not a one-time 3-hour training session at first implementation, but rather continual training based on each patient to be treated. TOBI provides expert, tailored advice based on each of the 30+ possible treatment classes in the 300+ protocols within the doctorVet platform.
DON'T NEED
Complex modifications of default protocols
Substantial protocol modification is only necessary in three instances: 1) when the pre-set protocols are not robust, 2) if your particular need is a rare injury, or 3) if you have years of experience that allow you to gain a significant advantage from your knowledge. doctorVet has been developed by expert clinicians, researchers, and engineers to fit the needs of the common majority of technicians and veterinarian clinics.
NEED
Real-time advice on treatment technique
Lasers are not magic wands. A lot of engineering and clinical expertise go into producing every laser, and just shining light onto your patient produces some wonderful results. But any experienced laser therapist will tell you that there is a skill and art in technique with intricacies that normally takes months-to-years to learn. TOBI teaches you every time you turn on the laser. Other laser manufacturers depend on an initial 1-2 day training, online support videos, and lots of trial-and- error for you to gradually become proficient. TOBI is an expert laser therapist who is by your side during every phase of every treatment constantly teaching you how to get the best results.
NEED
Long term warranty that puts you at ease with your investment
SOUND has long found that warrantied customers are the happiest customers. Unlike laser companies who have no reason to further engage you until your laser is due for an upgrade, SOUND has a vested interest in keeping you happy after the sale. We are the partner you keep, whether it be for digital radiography, ultrasound equipment, ultrasound education, or other Emerging technologies.