APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TISSUE REGENERATION

An apparatus for tissue regeneration is provided. The apparatus comprises means for generating at least one laser pulse comprising a wavelength; and means for directing the at least one laser pulse onto a tissue surface of a human or animal body, wherein the means for generating comprises control means to ensure that a sum of the pulse energies of the at least one laser pulse is selected so that the corresponding fluence on the tissue surface heats the tissue surface up to a maximal temperature Tmaxbetween 70 °C and a tissue boiling temperature Tb. Further, the means for generating of the apparatus are adapted so that a delivery time tedof the at least one laser pulse (during which the second half of the pulse energy is delivered) is sufficiently short so that, given the wavelength and thus a corresponding penetration depth δ of the at least one laser pulse, a thermal exposure time texpof the tissue surface is shorter than 900 microseconds. Here, the thermal exposure time texpof the tissue surface is defined as a time interval in which the temperature of the tissue surface is above To+ (Tmax- To)/2, wherein Todefines the initial temperature of the tissue surface, before the laser pulse arrives.