News
First in vivo study of the effects of nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEF) on the skin.
By Emilee Green, September 18, 2019
Wausau, WI (September 18, 2019) – A new modality provides a novel method to selectively eliminate unwanted cellular lesions in the skin with very short treatment times and with little to no scarring. Nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEF) therapy applies nanosecond pulses of electrical energy to induce regulated cell death in cellular structures with negligible thermal effects. This first human study of the treatment describes the use of nsPEF on the skin.
The clinical report of this study, published in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine (LSM), the official journal of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, Inc. (ASLMS), was selected as the September 2019 Editor’s Choice.
The study, led by David Kaufman, MD is titled “A dose‐response study of a novel method of selective tissue modification of cellular structures in the skin with nanosecond pulsed electric fields.”
“This first study of a totally new energy device in humans is important because it establishes and characterizes a safe range of energy "doses" in normal skin to guide dosimetry for future studies of this device in abnormal skin conditions,” said Kaufman.
These studies demonstrate that nsPEF could be a promising non-thermal treatment modality for both benign and neoplastic skin conditions, as well as for removing epidermal lesions. Future studies of abnormal skin conditions will further evaluate these promising early findings.
Dr. David Kaufman is board certified plastic surgeon in private practice in Folsom, California, having completed his surgical training in plastic surgery and general surgery at Stanford University. He received his Medical Degree from Harvard Medical School. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis with a BS in systems engineering, and subsequently served as a Navy Seal (Team 5). As a plastic surgeon, he has volunteered his services for a non-profit organization called Interplast that provide re-constructive surgery to needy children and adults in the developing world.
Editor’s Choice is an exclusive article published in LSM, the official journal of the ASLMS. View the complete manuscript.
The American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, Inc. (ASLMS) is the largest multi-disciplinary professional organization, dedicated to the development and application of lasers and related technology for health care applications. ASLMS promotes excellence in patient care by advancing biomedical application of lasers and other related technologies worldwide. ASLMS membership includes physicians and surgeons representing multiple specialties, physicists involved in product development, biomedical engineers, biologists, nurses, industry representatives and manufacturers. For more information, visit aslms.org.