FW: Laser application...

[Guest guest]

This came to me since I forwarded Tara's message on. Thought I would pass

it on.

Laurie

Dear Dr ,

A friend referred your 'lost in laser therapy' enquiry to me. I'm not a

member of the rehab group and am unable to post a response online, so I hope

you don't mind me responding directly to you.

Regarding your first question about laser therapy books, the best I can

recommend is 'The Laser Therapy Handbook' by Jan Tuner & Lars Hode ($65). It

is not a step-by-step guide, but it does provide a great deal of information

to readers interested in obtaining a deeper understanding of this modality.

Unfortunately there are currently no veterinary/rehab protocol guides or

user-oriented books available that are worth purchasing.

Regarding cluster applicators, it is necessary to know both the power of

each emitter in the cluster, and the total power of the cluster. The former

will allow you to calculate the 'dose-per-point' of each emitter, and the

latter the total body dose.

Knowledge of the power/power density per beam is especially important for

laser clusters, but less-so for LED clusters. For LED clusters it is often

sufficient to know the total power of the cluster and the area of the

applicator.

An LED cluster may have 50+ emitters very close together. In such an

applicator the beams from each LED are more likely to overlap, thus creating

a more homogeneous distribution of the optical output power over the surface

area covered by the applicator (and, thus, LED clusters generally more

applicable to the treatment of superficial conditions and open wounds, where

the power density of the incident beam is most important).

Most laser clusters, however, have a relatively low number of emitters

(4-to-5) spread over a relatively large area (5-to-10cm2), so from the

perspective of the tissues being treated you are effectively applying 4-to-5

single-laser applicators concurrently.

For such a laser cluster the average power density - total power over total

area - is meaningless. Attached is an email response to Dr Curtis Turchin

that discusses in greater depth the problem of 'average' power density as it

applies to laser clusters. It refers to the Apollo medical laser, which is

identical in output to SpectraVET's 4x500mW cluster.

In short, when calculating treatment times for a laser cluster you should

use the formula [seconds = Joules / Watts] for each laser emitter.

I hope I've been able to help clear this up.

If you would like any further information and/or assistance regarding laser

therapy and/or laser equipment, please feel free to contact me directly at

any time.

You may also wish to visit my Australian company's website at

<http://www.spectramedics.com> and browse through the 'Resources' section.

Kind regards,

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

SpectraVET Therapeutic Lasers

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Managing Director

CELL:

SpectraVET Inc

EMAIL:

WWW: <http://www.spectravet.com>

<http://www.spectramedics.com>

TEL:

FAX:

POST: 2460 Cortland Street

Waynesboro, VA 22980

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY. The information contained in this communication

is for the named recipient. It may contain confidential, privileged or

copyright material. If you receive this email in error please delete it and

any attachments and notify the sender immediately by reply email. If you are

not the named recipient, any use, reading, copying, distributing or

disclosure of the information in this email is strictly prohibited.

Any views expressed in this email are not necessarily those of SpectraVET

Inc. SpectraVET does not warrant that this email is free from viruses or

other defects. SpectraVET is not liable for loss, damage or other

consequences that may arise from opening or using this email or any

attachments.

If you no longer wish to receive messages from SpectraVET Inc, please reply

to this message with 'UNSUBSCRIBE' written in the subject line.

>

>Reply-To: VetRehab

>To: <VetRehab >

>Subject: FW: Laser stuff

>Date: Sun, 10 Dec 2006 16:36:26 -0600

>

>

>Hey All,

>

>Do you have any recommendations on text books covering laser therapy, I

>feel

>

>like I just got my feet wet at CRI and do not fully understand how to use

>for therapy purposes ie. where to apply applicator, over what range of

>tissue, how to treat joints? I'm interested in purchasing a unit and it's

>been hard comparing all of the models! Quick question regarding cluster

>applicators...when you are figuring out your treamtent time based on

>J=Wxsec, are you calculating based on each diode mW or on the total power

>from the entire cluster? Is the advantage of a cluster applicator just in

>regards to more surface area treated at once and therefore, less time in

>general? Any recommendations on units?

>Thanks so much in advance,

>

>Sincererly,

>Lost in laser therapy...!

>Tara , DVM

>