VECSEL-Based 590-nm Laser System With 8 W of Output Power for the Treatment of Vascular Lesions

We report a compact high-power yellow laser system for the treatment of cutaneous vascular lesions, such as telangiectasia and port wine stains. The system is based on optically pumped vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VECSELs), which have emerged as an attractive alternative to solid-state and dye lasers due to their enhanced functionality and broad wavelength coverage. The reported system is capable of delivering up to 8 W of output power at ~590 nm and includes a handheld scanner for an easy delivery of light onto the skin. The scan area can be varied from a single spot (1.4-mm diameter) up to 49 spots covering an area of 1 cm
²
. Additional features include adjustable fluence (0-52 J/cm
²
), scan patterns (line, square, hexagon), and pulse length (10-100 ms). The system has been qualified for and is currently used in a clinical trial concerning the treatment of facial telangiectasia (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03472859). Preliminary results of the test are reported indicating reduced treatment time for the yellow system and power reserve that could lead to further increase of the area treated in a single scan.