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Here you can find answers to many of the most asked questions about our services as well as general questions about Luxar LX-20, Accuvet*, and Novapulse* laser systems. If you don't see your question on this page, always feel free to call us at 1-866-LUXARCARE and we'd be happy to help. Click on the question you are interested in below to be directed to the answer.
What models of Luxar lasers are in existence today?
What are the new surgical lasers recommended by Luxarcare?
How do Novapulse* and Accuvet* fit into Luxar laser model names?
What are the clinical advantages of Superpulse mode?
What are the advantages of Luxar and Aesculight CO2 lasers?
What is the life expectancy for a Luxar laser system and laser tube?
What is the life expectancy for Luxar flexible fiber waveguides?
What happened to the original Luxar Corporation and its products?
How long will it take for my Luxar laser to be repaired?
When is the best time to schedule repair or service?
I no longer have my original shipping container - what do I do?
How much will it cost to ship my Luxar laser to and from Luxarcare?
What models of Luxar lasers are in existence today?
All Luxar laser model names consist of the letters LX followed by a two-digit number. Some model names also contain letters after the number. The earliest models are the LX-15, LX-20 and LX-20i which can all be easily identified by their two-wheeled base. Newer models include the LX-20LP (aka LX-12), LX-20SI and LX-20SP which have a four-wheeled base. Of all these models, the LX-20SP is the only one with superpulse capability. Complete specifications and pictures of the most common models used today can be found in this comparison chart.
What are the new surgical lasers recommended by Luxarcare?
The new surgical lasers recommended by Luxarcare are designed, manufactured and sold by Luxarcare’ sister company Aesculight LLC. The Aesculight surgical CO2 laser platform is a long awaited improvement of the Luxar Novapulse™ and Accuvet™ lasers.
As many Luxarcare customers know, popular Luxar Novapulse™ and Accuvet™ lasers were designed in 1994 and have not seen any significant make-over for over 12 years. In order to provide Luxarcare customers with a choice of improved and more versatile and powerful surgical laser, Luxarcare founders Paul Diaz, MSc EE and Peter Vitruk, PhD have decided to bring surgical CO2 laser manufacturing back to USA. Thus, a Luxarcare’ sister company Aesculight LLC was founded in 2005 in Seattle and in 2006 new Aesculight surgical lasers were introduced.
Unlike other lasers manufactured overseas, every Aesculight veterinary CO2 laser is assembled in the USA and can be maintained for you for many years by the same laser engineers who designed and hand-built it here in the USA.
How do Novapulse* and Accuvet* fit into Luxar laser model names?
Novapulse* is a trademark attached to the LX-20SP model name and highlights the superpulse capability of this system. Accuvet* is a trademark which is commonly associated with lasers sold to the veterinary market.
What are the clinical advantages of Superpulse mode?
Superpulse (SP) mode of operation is available on some Luxar and Aesculight laser models. In SP mode the laser delivers power in a burst of short and very high peak power pulses. For example, at the 5 watt SP setting, the laser beam is modulated at a high frequency with a relatively low duty cycle (e.g. 10%), with each pulse delivering very high power (e.g. 50 watts).
High power SP pulses on tissue provide a greater rate of tissue ablation rather than heating. Shorter SP pulses propagate heat less into surrounding tissue. Based on the higher ablation rate of SP mode compared to regular CW mode, SP mode is ideal for procedures where thermal damage needs to be minimized and tissue removal rate needs to be maximized (e.g. skin resurfacing or faster and deeper incisions).
Maximum peak SP power on Luxar lasers exceeds 50 Watt (SP models), maximum SP power on Aesculight lasers exceed 100 Watts (3020 and 4020 models).
What are the advantages of Luxar and Aesculight CO2 lasers?
First of all, the reliability and service support network for Luxar and Aesculight CO2 lasers is not matched by any other medical CO2 laser on the market.
These lasers use flexible fiber beam delivery and are the most common and popular surgical CO2 lasers for office use. Many surgical procedures were developed using fiber based surgical lasers and are best performed using them. These lasers are convenient, easy to use, rugged and reliable.
Aesculight lasers feature many of the new and unique features and characteristics available only from Aesculight – please find out more about Aesculight surgical lasers.
Overall, Luxar and Aesculight lasers allow you to focus on the clinical aspects of laser surgery and forget about the laser itself simply because the laser is dependable and easy to use.
What is the life expectancy for a Luxar laser system and laser tube?
Luxar laser systems can last indefinitely provided that the laser and its components are properly maintained (we recommend our service plans) and the laser tube is recharged approximately every 5 - 7 years.
The Luxar laser tube is of all-metal rugged design with no moving parts. Typically, the life-time of a Luxar tube before needing to be recharged is 5 - 7 years and is defined by the slow leaking of air and humidity through rubber gaskets into the tube from the atmosphere. Luxarcare offers laser tube recharge services at a fraction of the cost quoted by many other sources.
What is the life expectancy for Luxar flexible fiber waveguides?
Flexible fiber waveguides last approximately 1 - 4 years. Fibers are not repairable (in most cases) and are designed and sold as an affordable, replaceable accessory.
What happened to the original Luxar Corporation and its products?
Luxar Corporation was founded in the late 1980's and quickly became a market leader in office based surgical CO2 laser systems thanks to its flagship products - the LX-20, Novapulse* and Accuvet*. In the late 1990's, Luxar Corporation was sold to ESC Medical Systems and then became a part of Lumenis Inc. in 2001 as a result of the ESC and Coherent Medical merger. During Lumenis' post-merger reorganization, all Luxar product lines were moved out of Seattle, WA to overseas locations.
The technology used in Luxar laser tubes was invented in the late 1970's by Katherine D. Laakmann, PhD, founder of Luxar Corporation. The rugged and dependable electrical and software systems in all Luxar lasers were solely designed by Luxar's Director of Engineering, Paul Diaz. A crucial component in the success of Luxar lasers is the flexible waveguide beam delivery, invented in Luxar's early days by Michael Levy.
Prior to the founding of Luxar Corporation, many of the company's key technical personnel had also taken part in developing the highly popular line of Xanar CO2 medical lasers, which later became Coherent Medical's line of UltraPulse CO2 medical lasers.
How long will it take for my Luxar laser to be repaired?
You can generally expect your laser to spend 2 - 3 business days at the Luxarcare facility. Service Plan customers are always given a priority and can expect a turn-around of less than 48 hours. Don't forget to add shipping time when estimating your total downtime.
When is the best time to schedule repair or service?
Since Luxarcare is always prepared for incoming systems, the answer is entirely up to you. We recommend that you send your laser when you have a window in your schedule, say during a vacation, trade show, etc. This often allows use of the least expensive (but slower) shipping options. Just call us and relax - we'll arrange the rest, including shipping!
I no longer have my original shipping container - what do I do?
You can purchase a custom-made shipping container designed specifically for Luxar lasers directly from us.
How much will it cost to ship my Luxar laser to and from Luxarcare?
The shipping estimates provided below are for one-way shipping via UPS within the mainland United States, and assume the laser is packaged inside the original shipping container or one provided by us. All shipping options include full laser replacement insurance. These rates are a good estimate but actual shipping costs will vary slightly depending on location.
3 day FedEx - $165
2nd Day Air - $250
Next Day Air - $340
Novapulse and Accuvet are trademarks of Lumenis.