Quanta System Discovery Pico Derm

Discovery Pico Derm is the dermatology-focused member of Quanta System's Discovery Pico family. Quanta's history page dates the first Discovery Pico to 2015. The Derm name first appears in an FDA clearance in K191842, decided on September 17, 2019, and the family was cleared again under K240983 in June 2025. That later 510(k) tabulates the sources in each model. The Derm has 1064 nm in picosecond and photothermal modes and 532 nm in picosecond mode, and lacks the Q-switched nanosecond sources found on the standard Discovery Pico and the Plus, the 694 nm ruby source found only on the Plus, and the Twain connector that the other two models use for IPL and Er:YAG handpieces.

Energy travels through an articulated arm to Optibeam II handpieces, which produce flat top spots. The 2025 summary lists round spots from 2 to 12 mm, square spots of 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 mm, and microbeam or fractional handpieces at 8 and 9 mm, with the 9 mm version also called High Coverage. On the Derm, Quanta pairs the square handpieces with tattoo work, the round handpieces with benign pigmented lesions, and the fractional handpiece with acne scars and wrinkles. An optional family feature called VarioPulse offers three picosecond pulse durations, the shortest being 450 ps at 1064 nm and 370 ps at 532 nm.

The three family members look alike, so check the model label. A unit with a Twain connector, a 694 nm option or nanosecond modes is a Discovery Pico or Pico Plus, not a Derm.

Buyers will ask for the handpiece list with spot shapes and sizes, the condition of the arm and Optibeam optics, the software version, whether VarioPulse is enabled, and the service records for the laser source. Photos of the main screen in both pico and photothermal modes help.