System and method for microablation of tissue

A method of operating a laser device, the method comprising:

• determining how many channels are to be ablated in an area of tissue;
• determining a depth and width of each channel such that the depth is sufficient to extend at least into a dermis region of the tissue and the width is smaller than the depth;
• determining a location for each channel in the area of tissue such that each channel is separated from the other channels by portions of the tissue;
• determining characteristics of ablative laser pulses such that a duration of each ablative pulse is shorter than a tissue thermal relaxation time;
• and
• directing a laser emitting device to apply at least one ablative laser pulse to each of the determined locations based on the determined characteristics to ablate a channel having the determined depth and width at each of the determined locations.

A laser system comprising:

• a carbon dioxide laser source;
• a laser emitting device coupled to the laser source and configured to apply laser pulses to tissue, the tissue comprising an epidermis region, a dermis region below the epidermis region, and a hypodermis region below the dermis region;
• and
• a controller configured to control application of the laser pulses;
• wherein the controller is configured to direct the laser emitting device to apply at least one ablative laser pulse having a spot size between about 80 μm to about 150 μm at each of a plurality of sites within a treatment area of the tissue to ablate a channel that extends at least into the dermis region at each of the plurality of sites;
• wherein the controller is configured to direct the laser emitting device to apply the at least one ablative laser pulse at each site in a pattern such that the channel ablated at each site is separated from the other channels by non-ablated tissue;
• wherein the controller is further configured to control characteristics of each laser pulse such that each laser pulse has a uniform power distribution across its respective spot and such that a duration of each pulse is shorter than a tissue thermal relaxation time.