The manufacturer of laser medical device Fotona is known primarily for the fact that the history of this company began in 1964, when laser technology was just beginning to emerge. Thanks to the accumulated experience, the company has a closed production cycle, thus the vast majority of units for laser products are produced within the enterprise. The company primarily focuses on the European and American markets, therefore it has headquarters in Dallas (USA, Texas) and Ljubljana (Slovenia). Having a fairly large development department, the company often offers interesting novelties and technologies that often turn out to be promising in the field of aesthetic medicine. These include, for example, VSP (rectangular pulse technology), SMOOTH-mode (non-ablative erbium exposure mode) and some others. Fotona lasers are popular not only in aesthetic medicine, but are also used in surgery and gynecology. The large number of articles and scientific publications published on the results of the use of lasers allow the use of fairly reliable and proven protocols, which is also a hallmark of the company. The main laser emitters used in all models are neodymium and erbium laser modules. The company’s policy seems to be to use only solid state laser emitters (Nd: YAG and Er: YAG lasers), since they allow generating the most monochromatic and high-quality laser radiation (in contrast to broadband light sources or low-selectivity diode modules).
The most popular models of Fotona medical devices
Fotona has a fairly wide range of products, but a certain disadvantage of the products is the presence of only two laser modules, neodymium and erbium, in the entire product line. The most frequently used devices on the territory of the Russian Federation are:
- StarWalker MaQX. This neodymium Q-Switch laser is a good example of a reliable laser instrument for tattoo and pigment removal. The built-in KTP crystal allows you to remove tattoos not only in black and blue, but also in red and yellow tones. In the basic set, R58 and R28 are supplied, in addition, the device is optionally equipped with the R29d and FS50d handles.
- Fotona SP Dynamis. This laser monoblock, unlike the previous one, already includes two types of lasers – neodymium and erbium. The radiation of a neodymium laser is delivered to the skin through optical fiber and has high energy characteristics (energy and power), but there is no possibility of removing tattoos and age spots. The built-in erbium emitter allows for various types of resurfacing, ranging from cold peeling to hot ablation. In addition to the laser, you can purchase a gynecological attachment, which will expand the functionality of the device.
- Fotona XP Dynamis. This model is a significant simplification of the previous laser device, because contains only neodymium laser with fiber optic output. On the one hand, it may seem that this is the most simplified simple monoblock, which contains only one neodymium laser (which almost all manufacturers of solid-state lasers have), but the extensive experience and technologies of Fotona made it possible to make a rather efficient and multifunctional machine even on the basis of one emitter. This medical laser machine is effective for most anti-aging non-ablative procedures, superficial spider veins removal, laser liposuction, etc.
Main advantages and disadvantages of Fotona lasers
Let us examine the main pros and some cons (which, of course, any brands have) of Fotona laser equipment. The unconditional benefits include:
- Extensive experience of the company and, accordingly, high quality of manufactured laser equipment.
- High science intensity of medical systems, due to the large number of technologies, incl. patented.
- High energy characteristics of each laser separately (such as energy, power, etc.)
- Proven and approved protocols and treatments.
- Flexible system of installments when purchasing Fotona lasers.
- Using only solid-state lasers, which guarantees a high degree of photoselectivity.
However, at the same time, a number of doctors and owners of clinics also note some disadvantages of laser equipment of this famous brand:
- The use of only two laser modules (neodymium and erbium, albeit in wide modes) significantly limits the range of procedures performed. First of all, the most popular in Russia alexandrite laser is missing.
- The use of monoblocks, i.e. a wide range of individual devices for individual procedures does not allow those clinics where Fotona devices are located to be multifunctional. Because for tattoo removal, liposuction, rejuvenation, resurfacing, etc. separate laser devices are required, which greatly increases the cost of expenses and makes the cost of equipping the clinic almost unaffordable.
Therefore, before buying a medical laser, each clinic owner needs to weigh all the factors.