What is Class IV Laser Therapy?
Restoring cellular health through photobiomodulation is the key to healing. K-LASER uses visible and near-infrared wavelengths to target specific chromophores in tissues, resulting in the reduction of pain and inflammation while promoting tissue healing. Photobiomodulation (PBM) was discovered in the 1970s and was first known as “Low Level Laser Therapy” (LLLT) or “Cold Laser Therapy,” as only low-powered lasers were available at that time.
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Since 2002, K-Laser has been developing high-power lasers that enable animal health professionals to use PBM for faster, deeper, and more efficient treatments, known as “High-Intensity Laser Therapy” (HILT). K-Laser devices can also output low power when needed for specific applications. By accelerating the normal biochemical process, K-Laser increases blood flow, enhances cells’ oxygenation, and promotes ATP production, aiming to improve healing while reducing pain and swelling.
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K-LASER therapy treatments consist of several parameters that need to be finely tuned to optimise effectiveness including:
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Power: This includes both the average power and peak power of the laser.
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Wavelengths: One or several wavelengths can be used simultaneously, depending on the specific treatment requirements.
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Delivery mode and frequency: Different modes of delivery such as Continuous Wave (CW), Pulsed Wave (PW), SuperPulse (SP), and IntenseSuperPulse (ISP) can be used, with each having its own frequency.
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Duration of treatment: The length of time for which the laser is applied is an important factor in determining its effectiveness.
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K-LASER Multi-Phase Treatment
All K-Laser units are multi-phase capable, which means that a typical 3-5 minute treatment session can be divided into up to 12 successive phases. Each phase has a unique laser configuration designed to optimise energy absorption at the desired depth by cells and target the different tissue types present in a specific area of the body.​​
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Laser Power
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The greater the depth of the cells you are treating the more energy is needed to produce a therapeutic effect. By starting out with more energy at the skin surface treatment times are dramatically reduced compared with less powerful lasers. Having the correct laser power is critical in achieving a therapeutic benefit. For more information click here...
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The Importance of Wavelength
The wavelength of light is measured in nanometres (nm) and corresponds to a specific colour visible to the human eye. For instance, 445nm is blue, 530nm is green, and 660nm is red. Infrared light above 700nm is not visible to the human eye.
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The wavelength of light not only determines colour in the visible spectrum, but also it's depth of penetration into the body system. As laser light penetrates tissues, it may be scattered or absorbed gradually, with the wavelength acting as a carrier for the energy.
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Certain wavelengths can effectively penetrate specific types of tissues while being better absorbed and interacting with others. The goal is to penetrate the skin and interact with haemoglobin to facilitate oxygen release and with mitochondria to increase ATP production.
< 445 nm - The wavelength that best interacts with molecules at the systemic level, absorbed by both melanin and hemoglobin more effectively than infrared wavelengths do. This wavelength is also particularly effective on numerous bacterial strains (Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Phrphyromonas gingivalis, Helicobacter pylori), exercising its antiseptic and bactericidal action, excellent results in tissue incisions, both for surgical and vascular purposes. Acts by stimulating the immune system activation.
< 660nm - This wavelength is well absorbed by the melanin contained within skin ensuring a high energy concentration within the superficial tissue layers. Laser therapy provides excellent results in wounds healing and scar tissue regulation as the light both inhibits bacterial proliferation and increases cellular growth.
< 800 nm - K-LASER research determined that Cytochrome C enzymes absorbed best at 800nm. Cytochrome C oxidase is the terminal enzyme of the respiratory chain and determines how efficiently cells convert molecular oxygen into ATP. An ATP molecule is generated for each oxygen-reduction cycle accomplished. Photon absorption from laser therapy accelerates this cycle and so increases cellular ATP production, resulting in faster healing and cell division.
< 905 nm - Oxygen is released in variable percentages in the blood: the faster it is released, the more oxygen needs to be transported to the cell in order for the natural healing processes to take place. This wavelength is absorbed by haemoglobin, water, melanin and Cytochrome C oxidase. When it is absorbed, more oxygen is available to the cells
< 970 nm - Blood, the main transport system, provides the cells with all the elements which are necessary to their metabolism, such as oxygen and nutritional substances, thus removing catabolic products. This wavelength is able to absorb most of the water contained in our body and a large part of the energy delivered by the therapy is transformed into heat. The deep tissue layers are thus transformed into localised heat points that create temperature gradients at cellular level. They also boost local microcirculation thanks to the increase.
< 1064 nm - This wavelength generates a double effect, since at the same time it is absorbed by two primary chromophores: Melanin and Water. The combination of the two activation peaks enhances the advantage of using this wavelength. Being more penetrating than Melanin, 1064nm wavelength is optimal when we need to treat dark phototypes, in which the short wavelengths would not be sufficiently penetrating because absorbed too early by the skin.
The Frequency of Laser Light
Lasers can deliver their light energy either as a Continuous Wave (always on) or pulsed.
The number of times the light is switched on or off each second is called the Frequency.
Different pulse frequencies elicit different physiological responses depending upon the anatomical part being treated (i.e. bone, soft tissue, and fat).
K-LASER lasers also provide an Intense Super Pulse (ISP) mode that deliver bursts of high peak power for a short period of time.
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Why Ease-of-Use is important
Knowing which combination of Wavelength, Power and Frequency is most appropriate for each condition is the result of decades of
on-going research. In addition, to achieve to best therapeutic effect K-LASER protocols can also have up at 12 different phases of treatment each with their own Wavelength, Power and Frequency settings.
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To be a practicable modality in practice Laser Therapy must be simple and quick to perform. K-LASER has the most intuitive easy to use touch-screen software available. Simply select the species, condition, coat colour and any additional parameters like ‘Weight’, or ‘Wound Size’. K-LASER is then automatically calibrated to deliver the optimal treatment protocol. K-LASER has done everything possible to make laser therapy as simple as possible.
