Patent ID: 7938821

Claim:
An apparatus for fractional dermatological treatment of skin, the apparatus comprising: a laser source that emits optical energy at a laser wavelength, wherein the absorption of said laser wavelength in water increases as the tissue is heated from 30° C. to 80° C. and said laser wavelength is in the range of 1350 nm to 3000 nm; a fractional optical delivery system that delivers an optical beam emitted from said laser source to a target area of skin, said fractional optical delivery system comprising an adjustment mechanism that adjusts one or more parameters of said optical beam selected from the group consisting of a size of the optical beam at the skin surface, a focal depth of the optical beam below the skin surface, a numerical aperture of the optical beam as the optical beam enters the skin, and a beam cross-sectional shape at the skin surface; and a controller that electronically controls said adjustment mechanism, said controller configured to control said adjustment mechanism to switch between a semi-ablative treatment mode for a preselected pulse energy for said optical beam and a treatment mode that is non-semi-ablative for said preselected pulse energy.