ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Plasma IQ™, the first FDA-cleared hand-held plasma energy device, is indicated for removal and destruction of skin lesions and coagulation of tissue. Treatment involves use of an electrostatic plasma spark to heat the skin and create discrete microthermal wounds. METHODS: Microthermal wounds on pre-auricular and upper eyelid skin from two individual subjects were created using multiple treatment parameters to assess the impacts of power, pulse duration and needle electrode type on wound depth, width and thermal spread, and analyzed using histology to characterize treatment effects. RESULTS: Device power had a statistically significant impact on upper eyelid skin microthermal wound depth and width (2-sided t-test p < 0.0001 for both) but not on thermal spread (p = 0.1171). No meaningful differences in wound width, depth, or thermal spread were observed based on pulse duration or electrode type. All microthermal wounds demonstrated dual zones of tissue injury and extended to the superficial reticular dermis. CONCLUSION: Treatment with the Plasma IQ™ device creates focal microthermal wounds of reproducible depth and width that are comprised of dual thermal injury zones similar to other plasma energy skin rejuvenation devices. Device power is the most important factor determining microthermal wound depth and width.
