Cynosure PicoSure

PicoSure is the picosecond laser Cynosure brought to market after FDA cleared it in late 2012 for removing tattoos and benign pigmented lesions, with US sales planned for early 2013. Its base source is a 755 nm alexandrite laser. FDA's 2018 summary for the PicoSure Workstation, K173199, lists pulse widths of 450 to 900 picoseconds, repetition rates of 1, 2.5, 5 and 10 Hz plus a single shot mode, and delivery through an articulated arm.

At 755 nm the system uses a Zoom handpiece adjustable from 2 to 6 mm and fixed handpieces at 6, 8 and 10 mm. The Focus Lens Array, used with the 2 mm and 6 mm handpieces, is cleared for acne scars and wrinkles in skin types I to IV. Two optional delivery systems convert the 755 nm beam to other wavelengths: a 532 nm unit with fixed spots from 1.5 to 3.5 mm and a 1064 nm unit with spots from 1.4 to 4.0 mm. The 1064 nm delivery system was cleared in 2016 and sold as an upgrade to existing owners. A 2021 clearance, K210226, added melasma, nevus of Ota and Hori macules to the 755 nm indications.

The main source of confusion is the PicoSure Pro, launched in 2022. The Pro adds a 5 mm fixed handpiece, a flat lens, the Platinum Focus lens and adjustable fluence on its fixed spots. A console with only 6, 8 and 10 mm fixed handpieces and the standard Focus array is an original PicoSure.

Because add-ons were sold separately, state plainly whether you have the 532 nm and 1064 nm delivery systems and the Focus array. A buyer will then ask for the pulse count, the date of the last service, the software version and the state of the articulated arm. Photos of the serial label, the startup screen and every handpiece help a dealer price it.