Fraxel re:pair

The Fraxel re:pair is a fractional ablative carbon dioxide laser built by Reliant Technologies of Mountain View, California. It emits at 10,600 nm and uses scanning optics to place a pattern of tiny ablated columns in the skin, with untreated tissue left between them. Reliant's 2008 launch release describes a treatment depth range of 300 micrometers to 1.6 mm, Intelligent Optical Tracking to follow hand movement, and a smoke evacuation system built into the unit. In FDA filings the device carries the engineering name Fraxel III SR. FDA cleared it in 2007, first under K063038 in April and then K071051 in November, and the European launch followed CE marking in April 2008.

A later clearance, K080915 in July 2008, describes a CO2 laser source with three handpieces that attach to an articulating arm: one for resurfacing, one for incision and one for debulking. Accessories listed in that filing are interchangeable resurfacing treatment tips, incisional spatulas and debulking spatulas. Solta's device identifier records include re:pair tips packed four to a box in small and large sizes, a tip kit, a cartridge kit and a barrel sold without a spatula.

Sellers sometimes confuse this unit with its Fraxel siblings. The re:store and re:fine are non-ablative fiber lasers whose handpiece hangs from a cable, while the re:pair is a CO2 system with an articulated arm. A rating plate or service paperwork that reads Fraxel III SR points to the re:pair. Because the incisional and debulking handpieces arrived with the 2008 clearance, not every console was sold with all three.

Before making an offer, a buyer wants to know which handpieces come with the system and how many small and large tips and spatulas are on hand. Smooth travel of the articulated arm and clean handpiece optics matter, as do the CO2 source's run time, the condition of the smoke evacuation system, the software version and the service history.