I copy this post from DT because its late and I am tired but here is a post for those of you wondering about the new Versawave. There are some nice features both software and hardware in the unit. I now have the software upgrade on my laser for 2 weeks and have played with it at the Nash Institute. Tips are interchangeable on the units and almost everythign from the Versawave can be put on the DeLight.

Hoya Con Bio has taken a unique approach in bringing this product to market. They havent forgotten their existing customers.

The Versawave has a new updated sleeker look which primarily is the top of the unit. The rest of the unit still looks similar but the top housing of the unit has been made to look slicker…..its what they did to the unit that is kind of cool.

1. The updated the software now as follows and I know this because I updated my software chip from my old version to the new Versawave version by installing a new chip in the laser. This upgrade is called the V CHIP and it is cool in that they take out the old chip and put in a new one (like a cpu board) and then program the same laser to provide improved settings.

FIrst off the old laser was capable of the following

A. Variable Hz settings (5 of them) at 3, 10, 20, 25, and 30 Hz (this is the pulses per second)
B. Variable Mj settings from 30 mj as a minimum to 200 mj at 30 Hz (6 watts) and 240mj at 25 Hz (6 watts)

The New V chip improves Both settings

A. Variable Hz settings are now (9 of them) 3, 10, 15 (very cool as it is the same Hz as the C delta fibers in the pulp), 20, 25, 30, 40, 45 and 50 Hz.
B. Variable Mj settings from 30Mj to 400 mj now ( maximum of 8-9 watts depending on fiber and head of the unit).

So what does this mean clinically ……..well first off the 15 Hz and 400 mj setting is what I call the Opus Principle as Opus laser users have had lower pulses per second and Higher energy per pulse to help really whack the enamel. The popping sound is slightly louder now but the ability to go through the enamel is improved by these settings. Some units are capable of over 400 mj even up to 450 depending on the fiber you have. I think the maximum mj for Biolase is 300 mj per pulse regardless of the pulses per second.

You can only get the 400 mj or more at 15Hz or 20 Hz and not higher. As soon as you go to higher pulses per second the mj will automatically drop down. This improvement makes it less sensitive for me in working in enamel and secondly it makes it faster in the enamel……in some cases much faster.

What I have been doing is using 15 Hz and 400 mj and if the patient can tolerate it after a minute or so bumping it up to 20 Hz and 400 mj which is an increase in total energy of 25%.

Next off is the awesome setting of 50 Hz. Now as soon as you use this setting the maximum mj is like 50 or so. I am using the 50 Hz setting for 3 areas.

1. WIth anesthetic on soft tissue it gives an unbelievablely smooth cut on the soft tissue and less bleeding. The tissue relaxation time isnt enough between pulses to use this 50 hz without anesthetic so you have to anesthetize in my hands.
2. On bone the 50 Hz again is great for smoothing of bone at low energies without ditching and plucking.
3. BEVELS on enamel are awesome as can be seen in the case I show here which I did yesterday for a post ortho patient. 50 Hz and 30 mj works great with a 600micron tip with scraping leaving on small amounts of enamel fragments.

These are the coolest things for the Versawave new software settings. In addition I can tell you that the 40 Hz setting gives you alot of leeway as to how you can set you mj and this is a good setting for caries removal if the patient isnt to sensitive.

The latitude in energies and the 50% increase in total energy output is great from the same machine.

Next off the fiber has been improved in Japan over the last few years so that some new users are getting transmissions in the mid to high 80s when they get their new fiber. The new Versawave is using these improved fibers with a new pole that is not steel but a different material and the holder is also new in design.

Finally the head of the laser has had some improvements made to it as well to improve conduction during the flash lamp phase of pumping the laser. I dont know all the details of how they have done this but they have.

The beauty of the thing is that people dont need to buy the new Versawave if they dont want to, they can UPGRADE their old Delight in 3 separate areas.

1. The can upgrade their chip to allow the laser to use the new software settings (I did this and know what the price was but will allow Hoya to tell users what they are going to charge, its a couple of thousand for this)

2. You can get a new fiber and the new support pole if you want

3. They can update your head on your laser and you then have really the new Versawave laser without the new look.

This will cost around 17 K or something like that.

NOw in closing, I for one compliment Hoya for not forgetting the old Delight folks who have supported them over the years and allowing these users to upgrade their units to get a new laser basically at a very fair price is a good deal in my books.

In addiition I do think that certain features of the Versawave that I have tested for the last 2 weeks are really cool in the software and I anticipate that over the next little while I will revitalize my laser with the other two features to make it brand new or almost so!!

Here is the case I did yesterday using the settings of 50Hz and 30 mj for the bevel. This was done on someone who just had his brackets taken off (early actually as he is moving to Europe for a while). I just built up the two centrals on this young boy until the tissue fully forms and the eruption is complete (hence no gingival recontouring on this 14 year old).

Hope that you like it.

Glenn