The Laser as a sustainable device

The use of our medical and aesthetic lasers and the continued commitment we dedicate to research and development of new or improved applications generates a series of indirect social impacts which are transformed into benefits both for the patient and for the local community.

With our laser systems for the medical and aesthetic field we have placed at the disposal of the market instruments and solutions which improve the welfare of people and the quality of life of patients by reducing health issues of both a physical and aesthetic nature, and the those of a psychological nature associated with them. The laser is, in fact, a device which, thanks to its inherent selectivity treats the pathologies by maximizing the effectiveness of the interaction and minimizing the collateral effects of the treatments.

If we consider, for example, the surgical sector, the equipment that has been conceived and developed by the Group for minimally invasive surgery has brought about an improvement in the quality of life for the patients in terms of a greater recovery of healthy tissue , less risk because of the reduction or elimination of local anesthetics and a reduction in post-operative recovery time, since the sutures are reduced. The types of operations which can performed with lasers, in fact, do not require incisions or the use of scalpels, and the laser beam can be directed remotely using sub-millimetric optical fibers which offer greater facility of use to the medical personnel.

Our systems offer enormous advantages and improvements for the welfare of the patients also in the dermatological surgery sector where, if we consider, for example, skin surgery applied to mucous, the laser has revolutionized the traditional approach by vaporizing rather than cutting the tissues and in this way eliminating only the existing cutaneous lesion and saving the tissue surrounding the lesion, all of which takes place without bleeding due to the cauterizing effect of the laser. The laser treatments make it possible to avoid deep cuts in the skin and the advantage of this is represented by the fact that no scaring of loss of elasticity in the skin occurs; this is an important advantage, especially in the more delicate parts of the body. In the last few years, it has been demonstrated that laser treatments are the most effective non-surgical and non-pharmacological solution to prevent and to treat vaginal atrophy and its consequences: lack of nourishment and hydration of the cells of the vaginal mucous in fact comport dryness, burning and discomfort and negatively influence the relations and the self-esteem of the patients, both when the symptoms are due to genital and urological issues typical of natural menopause or induced after oncological therapies as well as those due to post-partum ipoestrogenization.

The elimination of major imperfections like hirsutism, angiomas, acne, rosacea, psoriasis, large scars , etc.) using our laser devices has made it possible for many people, both on a family surrounding and in society, in childhood as well as adulthood, to find a harmonious balance of acceptance and dignity from other members of the community. Besides being pathologies that are often uncomfortable or painful, for many people living with a part of their body, especially a highly visible one, that is affected by apparent imperfections can also have important psychological repercussions. Some lesions create strong emotional reactions in the people that are affected and create difficulty for them in personal relations because they do not feel at ease with their own body or suffer from depression because they are not able to accept the imperfections and consider them an insurmountable problem. Thanks to laser technology, these pathologies or imperfections can be treated in a manner that is effective, painless, non-invasive and increasingly economical.

The improvements in the welfare of the patients are evident also for vascular anomalies like infantile or congenital angiomas: besides being highly visible, these imperfections can disturb the normal functioning of a person or cause discomfort; the laser represents a valid alternative to the pharmacological therapies with respect to which it also has the advantage of preserving the integrity of the tissues; in fact the laser treatment selectively dries up the blood component which then slowly deflates until it has completely disappeared. Also in the case of skin discolorations, besides having an important preventive action, the use of the laser makes it possible to save the skin from the aggressiveness of the acids that are traditionally used and to solve one problem without creating another. In the case of superficial discolorations the laser strikes selectively without destroying the surrounding tissue while, with traditional techniques the discoloration was eliminated by controlled abrasion of the skin used along with acid substances. The situation is different for deep spots where the laser is the only technique available.

The laser systems that we produce for the industrial sector can be adapted for multiple uses and can be applied to many different types of materials. The final result that is obtained makes lasers preferable to alternative solutions because they avoid the need for further processing and perform cutting, incisions and marking with extreme precision.

Processing executed by a laser is particularly desirable from a point of view of sustainability because of several factors which make it possible to reduce the amount of waste by instantly vaporizing the material on which they are working and by making clean cuts without producing chips or other processing waste. Our marking systems also make it possible to make perforations, grey tones and selective removal of the thickness of the material, thus reducing waste. The use of the laser does not comport contact between the parts and therefore avoids the risk of deformation or accidental breaking as well as tool wear which, consequently would produce more waste material. Moreover, since the laser is managed digitally by software, the movements that are made are precise and the cuts are matched perfectly, thus reducing the scrap that is left using traditional cutting technologies.

The reconfiguration of the processes simply using a reprogramming of the software makes it possible to save on accessory equipment because new dies for each process are no longer required, nor are parts of material that sustain the dies or the cutting instrument. Laser processing, moreover, do not add any pollutants and the fumes produced during the processing do not contain chemical additives; for marking laser systems make it possible to avoid the use of inks and solvents on fabrics and leathers, with all of the problems inherent in the disposal of these substances.

Our laser systems are also used for marking bar codes, serial numbers, logos on plastic materials even a microscopic scale, to cut objects in metacrylate and other acrylates, but also for the processing of some labels to improve the insertion of RFID devices which are activated by radio frequency and are able to read information, which are used, for example, in the field of high fashion to recognize a garment where the label is attached which in this way becomes a unique and "speaking" object: the use of a laser with respect to traditional technologies in this type of processing makes it possible to avoid the use of glues and to avoid the use of different dies for every different label. The savings on the dies is economical especially for the processing of small lots, or for flexible production systems, as is increasingly requested by the changeability of the demand and the need to personalize the products.

Lasers are used successfully also for prevention of counterfeiting because they can mark paper in a way that is always original, univocal and easily up-dated: the personalization can be changed continually to create new holograms which make the paper three-dimensional and make reproduction even more difficult.

In the sector of textiles for jeans the laser technology has been revolutionary; the laser system for cutting and marking in fact makes it possible to cut and bleach the fabric at the same time which offers an alternative to the traditional technologies which is fast, precise and above all, ecological, because it does not require the use of chemicals for the bleaching, it does not produce polluting waste materials and, above all, it improves the quality of life of the workers because it replaces the obsolete technologies with which the fabric was aged using a sanding process with silica powders (potentially very harmful to human health) or else by subjecting the fabric to a “stone wash” with the addition of chemical substances or with “sanding”, an exhausting process for the worker who had to do it and effective only with the use of large quantities of abrasive and chemical materials with a high environmental impact because they were harmful and difficult to discard.

The use of lasers is also very effective for the removal of paint from helicopters and airplanes as well as ships because it makes it possible to reduce the amount of maintenance with a significant reduction in the times required since it can be conducted on the spot, but also for the reduction in the use of the chemical substances used which otherwise would have to be disposed of, with the consequent reduction of the environmental impact.

In the food sector, the use of special lasers in many cases makes it possible to replace labels which show the logo and production lot with an indelible laser mark which respects the organoleptic qualities of the food.

In this same sector we are now developing some applications for laser piercing of both rigid and flexible packaging systems which in this way improve their function of preservation of foods by regulating the exchange of water between the food and the outside, while taking advantage of the digital simplicity which permits the modification of the geometrical characteristics of the holes for the production of different lots.

We are very proud for having contributed on this market to the development of processes which are more respectful of the environment and we believe that all industries should become more sustainable. Through research and development we are committed to the continual improvement of the performance of our systems by increasing their effectiveness and efficiency. We produce CO₂ laser sources which we have found to permit a CO₂ energy savings on those now on the market and consequently, a reduced environmental impact; we have also developed and patented regenerating cartridges which regenerate gases and permit a reduction of the environmental impact in terms of refuse.

The beauty of works of art is our legacy for future generations and it is our duty to preserve it for them. We are proud to be the first company in the world to produce laser created specifically for the restoration of works of art using the same technology used for medicine and surgery. Whether we are dealing with works of art or with medicine, the principle is the same: taking care of people, our works of art.

One of the flagship products made by the El.En. Group is represented by the small segment of restoration; over the years the sensitivity of the Group towards the conservation of works of art has continued to grow and has inspired research aimed at making the most advanced conservation technologies available for the restoration of artistic masterpieces all over the world. The Group has continued to experiment with new technologies that can offer conservation processes that are increasingly effective and respectful of the works of art.

Lasers offer a solution which is effective, reliable and safe for the conservation of art works which every year are added to the restoration work conducted in Italy and the rest of the world. Laser technology makes it possible to remove layers of deterioration which have formed over the centuries with a non-invasive procedure which is highly selective and controllable and reveals and respects the patina so that the public can once again admire the works of art as they once were. This technology is particularly useful also to avoid the application of chemical substances which will have to be disposed of, often with special and costly procedures.

The laser solution provides the restorer with a highly technological tool which allows him to operate in complete safety with significant advantages with respect to the mechanical and chemical methods commonly used, first of all for the minimal invasiveness thanks to the absence of physical contact with the surface on which they are working, which makes it possible to intervene even on extremely fragile or very altered surfaces; a high level of control allows the operator to define the degree of cleaning that is to be reached (a high degree of selectivity because the layers to be removed are very dark and therefore absorb a high percentage of laser light) and great precision because the operator can define a precise area on which to intervene without minimally affecting the surrounding area.

Lasers have been used with great success on numerous monuments and works of art in Italy and the rest of Europe; among the most important where El.En. lasers have been used are: the cathedrals of Milan and of Florence, the cleaning of the Porta del Paradiso and the Porta Nord by Ghiberti of the Baptistery of San Giovanni in Florence, the sculptural group of the Rape of the Sabine Women by Giambologna in Piazza della Signoria in Florence, the bas-reliefs of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, the cloister of the cathedral of Oviedo, the leaning tower and cathedral of Pisa.