Sciton ProFractional

ProFractional is Sciton's fractional resurfacing module built on a 2940 nm Er:YAG laser. It appears in the FDA clearance for the Profile Multi-Platform System (K081352, October 23, 2008) as a handpiece and delivery system for skin resurfacing and soft tissue coagulation, and it was one of the nine modules on the JOULE when that platform was announced in February 2009. In January 2018 the FDA cleared the JOULE ProFractional System under K173285 for coagulation, resurfacing and ablation of soft tissue, including wrinkles, rhytides, furrows, fine lines, textural irregularities, benign pigmented lesions and vascular dyschromia.

The K173285 summary lists scanned treatment areas from 1.3 by 1.3 mm to 20 by 20 mm, up to 70 mJ per microbeam, pulse durations of 0.5 to 1.5 ms and repetition up to 3 Hz, delivered by articulated arm from a console that draws 230 volts at 25 amps. Sciton's resurfacing brochure describes the ProFractional III scanner as a 20 by 20 mm field of 430 micron square spots. The operator sets ablation depth between 25 and 1500 microns, adjusts density and coagulation separately, and chooses sequential linear, offset or random placement patterns.

ProFractional shares its 2940 nm source with other Sciton modules. Contour TRL is the full field version, scanning 4 or 6 mm spots across a 30 by 30 mm area for full surface resurfacing. HALO combines 2940 nm with 1470 nm. ProFractional XC, one of the JOULE launch modules, added adjustable thermal effects. Current Sciton pages list ProFractional for the JOULE but not for the 110 volt mJOULE.

Buyers will ask which console the scanner is attached to, Profile, JOULE or JOULE X, and which other modules are installed. Photograph the scanner, the articulated arm, the serial label and the screen showing ProFractional settings, and include records of erbium laser service so a dealer can confirm what is installed.