LASER MAINTENANCE & REPAIR TRAINING
The Laser Training InstituteTM
Professional Medical Education Assn, inc
- not-for-profit continuing education, est. 1978 -
800-342-2704
Professional Medical Education Association is a NON-PROFIT, 501(C)3 TAX EXEMPT ORGANIZATION.
(Tax ID: 31-1014446)
Our two independent operating divisions are:
Laser Training Institute, and
National Council on Laser Certification
Copyright © 2023 by "Professional Medical Education Assn, Inc"
All Rights reserved
E-Mail:
info@LaserTraining.org
Medical & Aesthetic Laser Maintenance and Repair
Seven day course given quarterly in Columbus, Ohio - established originally in 1984
Click on the "Seminar Dates" at left to check dates.
$7250, discounts available (see below)
Includes 8 hotel nights and most meals

                      A "Laser Mechanics" Class

For Hospital based Biomedical Engineers,
and Office based Aesthetic Practice Technicians & Owners
"The course gives you the knowledge and practice so that when you leave you are familiar with general laser concepts. It also includes preventative maintenance and repairs for the 4 types of lasers (Hands-On.) I believe the most important part is that you become part of a network that have years of experience in the laser field and are willing to help.”  
-  Tynetta Silmon,  Baylor St. Luke’s, Houston, TX


                                                (CLICK for more Student Endorsements)

Course Description Pricing & Discounts Course Outline    Faculty    What You Get
   Accreditation        Laser Certification Exams     Facilities    Refunds        International-VISAS

CLICK HERE for info on a short 1 Day InHouse Introductory Program at your facility.
Useful Information and Links:                         

Please note that our nonprofit organization does NOT provide Laser repair to users - just training.
  .... however our faculty does. For Service Requests contact Dan Little, Technical Director.

"FDA and Third Party Service" - 2016 article by 24x7 Mazaine 
  "Revisiting the Right to Repair" - 2016 article by 24x7 Magazine 
   Medical Laser Service - Myths & Reality - Chinese Lasers - "Recertification Fees"
  Free PowerPoint presentation on "Introduction to Servicing Lasers"
    Model Specific Advanced Laser Training - available only to Alumni of this course - Brochure
    7 minute video showing procedures during the repair course
   Information Sheet for arriving students on what to expect, air travel, hotel, transportation, etc.
   Google Earth Map showing where you'll stay and surrounding restaurants/bars/places of interest
    Free electricity primer for the occassional few with no background
    Free Lasers in Medicine and Surgery manual
    Certification Review Outline to study for the Certification Exam
    FAQ: What types of Laser do you train on in the Repair Course?
   FAQ: What levels of Repair can I reasonably expect to perform if I attend this class?
    Discussion of the requirements (& confusion) of new CMS requirements for Laser Service
    ANSI Z136.3 Standards as they relate to Laser Service - Summary Article




Course Description:
       

YES! You can learn to maintain and repair your own lasers! These are primarily directed toward Biomedical Engineers working in hospitals and medical facilities, but anyone that is technically inclined can learn to perform regular preventive maintenance and front line troubleshooting of lasers. We have technicians come from aesthetic laser practices, and occassionally even individual physicians. No special licensing or permissions are required from government agences nor the laser manufacturer (kind of like working on your own car). The more you know about optics and electronics the better you will do in the long term, but all you really need to know for regular laser maintenance is basic electricity and how to use a meter, and basic mechanical systems like plumbing and cooling systems. This is NOT a Laser Engineering Course. It is a Laser Mechanics course to teach you how to fix your own lasers and save lots of money. The course will integrate you into a network of laser service and parts providers that can help back you up when you need it. Faculty offer free advice after the training on a limited basis, but will offer you good rates to come in as your service backup as well. Laser Certification exams are optionally provided at the end of each week long course.

Our seven day school is designed to teach hands-on procedures (alignments, calibrations, optics assembly & cleaning, etc.) to the electronically experienced biomedical engineer. The first four days of the program focuses on the CORE laser & optical components and subassemblies that are common to all laser systems (like a general mechanics class for cars). This allows the engineer to provide the periodic maintenance on ALL of their hospital laser systems, and provide front line service repair on most. This is accomplished through extensive hands-on work with CO2, Argon and Nd:Yag laser systems which are representative of the majority of subassemblies in ALL lasers. The last three days of the program delve into more depth with some specific laser systems, and spends more time with ophthalmic laser systems including Q-switched Yags, and the surgical Ho:Yag. Procedures on the KTP, Pulsed dye and Alexandrite lasers are reviewed in demonstration and VideoConference. Specific procedures on additional models of lasers will also be performed, and these additional models will rotate and change from course to course. The weeklong program will cover theory on laser biophysics, more advanced laser physics and laser electro-optics, and biological effects and surgical techniques which are all included on various sections of the NCLC laser certification exam. An adequate faculty to student ratio is always maintained by expanding faculty based upon course registration to keep it approximately 4 students average per faculty. Most classes average 8-12 students. An intensive review session is held at the end of the class in preparation for the Laser Certification exam, for those taking it. Don't expect to be a laser expert at the end of the course, but you can expect to be able to provide your normal laser preventive maintenance, frontline troubleshooting and replacement of standard components like flashlamps, dye cartridges, deionizer cartridges and optics.

This is a comprehensive program on Laser Repair. It starts at the beginning and sets the foundation for learning laser optics and subassemblies in most systems, and teaches "bread and butter" alignments, PM's and troubleshooting on the "mainstay" lasers. It then focuses on more specific types of lasers and more in-depth procedures on ophthalmic lasers and systems such as Pulsed Dye and KTP lasers.  The course emphasizes "hands-on" with LOTS of touching and doing, and works toward developing an underlying understanding of lasers and maintenance procedures, rather than rote rule memorization. This is truly a "Laser Mechanics" course.

ADVANCED TRAINING - MAKE/MODEL SPECIFIC: Our week long course described above is the general laser repair course and will get you started with PM's and basic front line repairs on most of your lasers. We do offer separate Make/Model specific training and the general course is a pre-requisite to being accepted into these advanced classes. These can be done either on-site or at your facility, but are available only to alumni of the general Laser Repair Course.

Pricing and Discounts:

$7250 includes the course, 8 hotel nights, all breakfasts and lunches, and one group dinner, plus the fee for the NCLC Laser Certification exams if taken.
    a $600 discount is provided for payments received by us 20 days or more in advance.
(additional discounts are offered for multiple attendees at one course from the same facility - call us)
    Full payment is required prior to attendance at the program.
   (*Purchase orders should be made out for the full course fee of $7250, and the invoice will state the discount that may be taken by these dates. Registrants from outside the United States will be required to submit payment in US Dollars prior to the course, in order to guarantee the hotel reservation - this prepayment also qualifies them for the applicable discount)

Course Outline:

Click for a detailed outline. Due to the unpredictable nature of some of our technical work, this schedule is adjusted on an as-needed basis during the week.
The course ordinarily starts on a Friday morning (sometimes shifts because of holidays). We finish with most things by Wednesday, and use Thursday morning for the Certification Review session with testing given later that morning going into the afternoon. Some people may finish as early as 2pm, but you can't count on that. Count on being there until 5pm at the latest. Your hotel is covered until the next morning (Friday) anyway. Some dates may change.

Faculty: - Click here for a faculty information page with more biographical and contact information for each faculty:
Not all faculty members are present for each course, but an adequate faculty/student ratio is maintained - about 1 to 4 overall for the course.

                   Course Faculty:
Dan Little - WorldLink Biomedical, NY
Gregory Absten - Professional Medical Education Assn, FL
Herb Deigl - Universal Medical Lasers, FL
Wayne Delgado - Universal Medical Lasers, FL
Keith Stechow - Surgical Laser Services, NYC
Jim McDaniel - West Coast Lasers, CA
Don Cielsielski - Experience-The Solution, WI

Rotating or Past Faculty Members:
Paul Vargas - President Satius Medical, Lake Forest, CA
Ken Karst - K2 Imaging, and MedCentral Health System, Granville OH
Sydney Sukuta - San Jose Community College, San Jose CA
John McCauley - Ophir Spiricon, Indianapolis, IN
Eric Absten - Professional Medical Education Assn,  OH
Chris Zelich - PhotoVac Laser, Grove City OH
John Abel - EA Services, Penn Argyle PA
Terry Storer - The Laser Medic, Bedford TX
Tom Woodward - GE Clinical Services, AL
Frank Lazaro - Aerospace Guidance and Metrology Center, Newark OH
Angel Rodriguez, Del Ray Beach FL
Ken May, Laser-Med Services, Greater NYC area
Tom Enneking, Mt Carmel Hospital, Columbus OH
Steven Jones, Independent Service, Indianapolis IN

What You Get:

- Seven Day Course. Printed b/w course manuals. Electronic color pdf copy of the powerpoint presentations and course manuals.
- Hotel for 8 nights - Drury Inn Convention Center, downtown Columbus Ohio or Grove City Ohio Drury
- All breakfasts, lunches and one group dinner
- Laser Repair Technician Certification Exam - through the NCLC. Taken at the option of the attendee, but included with the course.
- Misc laser resources and materials provided on a memory stick for each student (articles, laser videos, presentations, etc)
- Access to faculty on an ongoing basis for continued support. Basic phone support for free and service backup at competetive rates.
- Eligibility to register for individual "Advanced" training on specific makes/models of lasers, at your own facility or the faculty's. (must be an alumni to be eligible)

Accreditation

Accredited for 48 hours Continuing Education Units. BMED's may individually submit application to AAMI for their credits.
Certificate of Laser Training provided.

Laser Certification Exams

The various Laser Certifications offered through the NCLC are voluntary professional credentials. They are not a requirement to perform Laser Maintenance and Repair, but do reflect a higher level of knowledge to the holder of the Certification. This course does qualify one to sit for the NCLC Laser Repair Technician Certification at the course end, and the testing/application fee is covered as part of this course. Participants are encourage to download and read the Laser Certification Handbook for details including the discussion of "Certification Candidates" vs full Certification.

Facilities:

Drury Inn and Suites Columbus Convention Center - We book your hotel for the repair course.
This is in the downtown "Entertainment District", with lots to do.
88 E. Nationwide Boulevard, Columbus, OH 43215       Tel: 614.221.7008
      *Note - we prepay the hotel costs for you and make all arrangements, so don't book rooms separately.
   -or sometimes-
Drury Inn and Suites, Grove City OH - same arrangements that we book hotel. Close to our office classroom
4109 Parkway Centre Dr, Grove City, OH 43123    Tel: 614.875.7000

Actual Classes are held in our office at:
3142 Broadway, Suite 201, Grove City, OH 43123
Tel: 614.883.1739
   Transportation:  We'll all meet in the lobby of the hotel the first day. Most people will have rental cars so we'll car pool all week to the classroom which is about 15 minutes away (Conv Ctr) or 5 minutes (Grove City).
    If you don't have a car we'll find transportation for you, including driving in with our faculty staying at the hotel. You will still need a shuttle to the hotel from the airport.

Refunds:

CLICK HERE for our full refund policy. In a nutshell - Due to the high costs and small size of these classes, the repair classes are noncancellable and nonrefundable once the registration has been made. Your registration is a committment to attend so please do not register until you are ready. Substitutions of the student attending may be made at any time prior to the start of the program. In severe extenuating circumstances we will consider substituting a later course, provided that the "lost" costs of the hotel is covered by the participant. We pay the complete hotel bill in advance once the registration is received.

International Visitors - VISA INFORMATION:  

We recommend all non-US participants apply for their visas at least 3 months before the congress. However, some consulates may have backlogs in scheduling visa interviews, so you should first contact the consulate to find out how long the wait is for an interview. For more information, visit the International Visitors Office.
Payment Required
by time of attendance

TO REQUEST A VISA INVITATION LETTER,
EMAIL TO
INFO@LASERTRAINING.ORG
Laser Training Institute