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CompletedNCT02246179Updated Nov 10, 2014

Fractional Laser Assisted Delivery of Anesthetics

A Phase 4 interventional study of AFXL and AHES in Local Anesthesia of the Skin., sponsored by Netherlands Institute for Pigment Disorders. Completed at 1 site in Netherlands. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2014-11-10.

Sponsored by Netherlands Institute for Pigment Disorders · Phase 4, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
10
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of fractional CO2 laser assisted delivery of topically applied anesthetics (articaine hydrochloride 40 mg/ml and epinephrine 10 μg/ml solution and EMLA cream) regarding to anesthesia of the skin.

Read the detailed description

Rationale: In dermatology, many minor surgical and laser procedures are carried out under local anesthesia of the skin. Anesthesia using topical formulations is time consuming, as the anesthetic has to be applied at least one hour before treatment, and is often only partially effective. On the other hand infiltration anesthesia is often associated with discomfort and is not tolerated by patients who are for example needle phobic. In the past years, enhanced and accelerated penetration of various topically applied substances, including photosensitizers, has been proven by pretreatment of the skin with a fractional laser, creating a pattern of microscopic ablation craters.(Haedersdal et al., 2010) This improvement in drug penetration seems to be regardless of ablation crater depth.(Haak et al., 2012) There is limited evidence that transdermal lidocaine absorption can be increased by fractional laser pretreatment.(Oni et al., 2012; Oni et al., 2013) These findings might suggest that local anesthesia of the skin may be achieved by applying an anesthetic drug topically on a skin surface pretreated with a fractional laser. However, little is known about the role of the formulation of the topical drug delivered using this method.

Objective: The primary objective of this study is to assess the analgesic effect of fractional carbon dioxide laser assisted delivery of two topical anesthetics (articaine hydrochloride 40 mg/ml and epinephrine 10 μg/ml solution (AHES) and EMLA cream) compared to application of these anesthetics without fractional laser pretreatment. The secondary objective is to compare the efficacy of these two different anesthetics, when applied according to the fractional laser drug delivery principle.

Study design: Prospective, single blinded, randomized, controlled, within subject, pilot study.

Study population: 10 healthy volunteers ≥18 years, who give written informed consent Intervention: In each subject, four test regions on subject's back of 1x1 centimeter will be randomly allocated in a 2x2 design to (1) ablative fractional laser (AFXL) pretreatment (5% density, 2.5 mJ/microbeam) followed by topical application of AHES, (2) AFXL pretreatment followed by application of EMLA cream, (3) sham AFXL followed by application of AHES on the intact skin and (4) sham AFXL followed by application of EMLA cream on the intact skin. Sham AFXL will be done by delivering an AFXL pass at 5% density and 2.5 mJ/microbeam right adjacent to the region of AHES or EMLA application on the intact skin. After ten minutes incubation time, an AFXL pass will be given as a pain stimulus at each test region with 5% density and 35 mJ/microbeam. Subjects will be asked to indicate pain on a visual analogue scale (VAS) from 0-10 (0: no pain; 10: worst imaginable pain) directly after each pain stimulus.

02

Conditions studied

  • Local Anesthesia of the Skin.

Keywords

  • Fractional laser
  • Topical anesthesia
  • Drug delivery
03

In context

Lead sponsor

Netherlands Institute for Pigment Disorders is the lead sponsor of 8 studies on the registry; none are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  • Fitzpatrick skin type I or II
  • Age ≥18 years
  • Patient is willing and able to give written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of keloid or hypertrophic scar formation or complicated wound healing
  • Presence of any active skin disease
  • Known allergy to local anesthesia
  • Pregnancy or lactation
  • Incompetency to understand what the procedure involves
  • Current complaints of chronic pain or other alterations in pain sensation (e.g. due to diabetes mellitus or lepra)
  • Current treatment with systemic analgesics or other medication that can influence pain sensation
  • Current treatment with anticoagulants
  • Fitzpatrick skin type III-VI
  • Excessive sun tan
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 4
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Factorial assignment
Masking
Single (Participant)
Enrollment
10 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    1: AFXL + AHES

    This test region will be pretreated with a fractional carbon dioxide laser (ablative fractional laser; AFXL) with a 120 μm spot at 5% density and a pulse energy of 2.5 mJ/microbeam, single pulse at t0 in a subject blinded fashion. Articaine hydrochloride 40 mg/ml and epinephrine 10 μg/ml solution (AHES) will be applied at this test region at t1.Ten minutes after AHES application (incubation time; under occlusion), a pain stimulus will be given at t11 to the subject at the test region using AFXL at 5% density and 35 mJ/microbeam.

    Device: AFXL · Drug: AHES

  • Experimental
    2: AFXL + EMLA

    This test region will be pretreated with a fractional carbon dioxide laser (ablative fractional laser; AFXL) with a 120 μm spot at 5% density and a pulse energy of 2.5 mJ/microbeam, single pulse at t0 in a subject blinded fashion. Eutectic mixture of lidocaine 25 mg/g and prilocaine 25 mg/g cream (EMLA cream) will be applied at this test region at t1.Ten minutes after EMLA cream application (incubation time; under occlusion), a pain stimulus will be given at t11 to the subject at the test region using AFXL at 5% density and 35 mJ/microbeam.

    Device: AFXL · Drug: EMLA cream

  • Sham comparator
    3: Sham AFXL + AHES

    A pass with a fractional carbon dioxide laser with a 120 μm spot at 5% density and a pulse energy of 2.5 mJ/microbeam, single pulse will be given at the area right adjacent to this test region ("sham AFXL") at t0 in a subject blinded fashion. Articaine hydrochloride 40 mg/ml and epinephrine 10 μg/ml solution (AHES) will then be applied at this test region on the intact skin at t1. Ten minutes after AHES application (incubation time; under occlusion), a pain stimulus will be given at t11 to the subject at the test region using AFXL at 5% density and 35 mJ/microbeam.

    Device: AFXL · Drug: AHES

  • Sham comparator
    4: Sham AFXL + EMLA

    A pass with a fractional carbon dioxide laser with a 120 μm spot at 5% density and a pulse energy of 2.5 mJ/microbeam, single pulse will be given at the area right adjacent to this test region ("sham AFXL") at t0 in a subject blinded fashion. Eutectic mixture of lidocaine 25 mg/g and prilocaine 25 mg/g cream (EMLA cream) will then be applied at this test region on the intact skin at t1. Ten minutes after EMLA cream application (incubation time; under occlusion), a pain stimulus will be given at t11 to the subject at the test region using AFXL at 5% density and 35 mJ/microbeam.

    Device: AFXL · Drug: EMLA cream

Interventions

  • DeviceAFXL

    Pretreatment at 2.5 mJ/microbeam and 5% density Pain stimulus at 35 mJ/microbeam and 5% density

    Also known as: Fractional carbon dioxide laser, Ablative fractional laser, Fractional CO2 laser, UltraPulse®, DeepFx handpiece; Lumenis Inc.

  • DrugAHES

    Topical application at test region 1 and 3 under occlusion for 10 minutes

    Also known as: Ultracain D-S forte, articaine hydrochloride 40 mg/ml + epinephrine 10 μg/ml

  • DrugEMLA cream

    Topical application at test region 2 and 4 under occlusion for 10 minutes

    Also known as: lidocaine 25 mg/g + prilocaine 25 mg/g cream

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Pain score

    The main study parameter is pain, as scored on a VAS from 0-10 (0: no pain; 10: worst imaginable pain) directly after each pain stimulus.

    Time frame: Directly after pain stimulus. After 10 minutes incubation time of the anesthetics.

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Netherlands Institute for Pigment disorders
    Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, Netherlands
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Haedersdal M, Sakamoto FH, Farinelli WA, Doukas AG, Tam J, Anderson RR. Fractional CO(2) laser-assisted drug delivery. Lasers Surg Med. 2010 Feb;42(2):113-22. doi: 10.1002/lsm.20860. PubMed 20166154 ↗
  • Haak CS, Farinelli WA, Tam J, Doukas AG, Anderson RR, Haedersdal M. Fractional laser-assisted delivery of methyl aminolevulinate: Impact of laser channel depth and incubation time. Lasers Surg Med. 2012 Dec;44(10):787-95. doi: 10.1002/lsm.22102. Epub 2012 Dec 4. Erratum In: Lasers Surg Med. 2013 Nov;45(9):617. PubMed 23212624 ↗
  • Oni G, Brown SA, Kenkel JM. Can fractional lasers enhance transdermal absorption of topical lidocaine in an in vivo animal model? Lasers Surg Med. 2012 Feb;44(2):168-74. doi: 10.1002/lsm.21130. Epub 2012 Feb 2. PubMed 22302761 ↗
  • Oni G, Rasko Y, Kenkel J. Topical lidocaine enhanced by laser pretreatment: a safe and effective method of analgesia for facial rejuvenation. Aesthet Surg J. 2013 Aug 1;33(6):854-61. doi: 10.1177/1090820X13496248. PubMed 23908302 ↗
  • Ong MW, Bashir SJ. Fractional laser resurfacing for acne scars: a review. Br J Dermatol. 2012 Jun;166(6):1160-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2012.10870.x. Epub 2012 May 8. PubMed 22296284 ↗
  • Wolfe JW, Butterworth JF. Local anesthetic systemic toxicity: update on mechanisms and treatment. Curr Opin Anaesthesiol. 2011 Oct;24(5):561-6. doi: 10.1097/ACO.0b013e32834a9394. PubMed 21841477 ↗
  • Hahn IH, Hoffman RS, Nelson LS. EMLA-induced methemoglobinemia and systemic topical anesthetic toxicity. J Emerg Med. 2004 Jan;26(1):85-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2003.03.003. PubMed 14751483 ↗
  • Baron ED, Harris L, Redpath WS, Shapiro H, Hetzel F, Morley G, Bar-Or D, Stevens SR. Laser-assisted penetration of topical anesthetic in adults. Arch Dermatol. 2003 Oct;139(10):1288-90. doi: 10.1001/archderm.139.10.1288. PubMed 14568832 ↗
  • Koh JL, Harrison D, Swanson V, Norvell DC, Coomber DC. A comparison of laser-assisted drug delivery at two output energies for enhancing the delivery of topically applied LMX-4 cream prior to venipuncture. Anesth Analg. 2007 Apr;104(4):847-9. doi: 10.1213/01.ane.0000257925.36641.9e. PubMed 17377092 ↗
  • Shapiro H, Harris L, Hetzel FW, Bar-Or D. Laser assisted delivery of topical anesthesia for intramuscular needle insertion in adults. Lasers Surg Med. 2002;31(4):252-6. doi: 10.1002/lsm.10101. PubMed 12355570 ↗
  • Hantash BM, Bedi VP, Chan KF, Zachary CB. Ex vivo histological characterization of a novel ablative fractional resurfacing device. Lasers Surg Med. 2007 Feb;39(2):87-95. doi: 10.1002/lsm.20405. PubMed 17115384 ↗
  • Haak CS, Bhayana B, Farinelli WA, Anderson RR, Haedersdal M. The impact of treatment density and molecular weight for fractional laser-assisted drug delivery. J Control Release. 2012 Nov 10;163(3):335-41. doi: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2012.09.008. Epub 2012 Sep 21. PubMed 23000695 ↗
  • Togsverd-Bo K, Haak CS, Thaysen-Petersen D, Wulf HC, Anderson RR, Haedersdal M. Intensified photodynamic therapy of actinic keratoses with fractional CO2 laser: a randomized clinical trial. Br J Dermatol. 2012 Jun;166(6):1262-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2012.10893.x. Erratum In: Br J Dermatol. 2012 Aug;167(2):461. Haedesdal, M [corrected to Haedersdal, M]. PubMed 22348388 ↗
09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Nov 10, 2014, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT02246179
Lead sponsor
Netherlands Institute for Pigment Disorders
Collaborators
Academisch Medisch Centrum - Universiteit van Amsterdam (AMC-UvA)
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Sep 22, 2014
Start date
Sep 2014
Primary completion
Oct 2014
Completion
Oct 2014
Last update
Nov 10, 2014

Study contacts

Albert Wolkerstorfer, MD, PhD
principal investigator · Netherlands Institute for Pigment Disorders, Department of Dermatology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam
Menno A. De Rie, MD, PhD
study director · Department of Dermatology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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