Roboderm® Explained: What MMAS Means for Your Menu

Roboderm® is the patented engine inside every icoone®: Multi Micro Alveolar Stimulation, up to 21,600 microstimulations a minute, across a microstimulator surface that is 86% micro-holes. It was patented in 2008 by Dr. Gianfranco Tudico, CEO of I-Tech Industries. Understanding it is how you write a menu that sells the mechanism instead of a vague promise.

What is Multi Micro Alveolar Stimulation, in one paragraph?

Most mechanical skin devices act through a single, relatively large point of contact. Roboderm® does the opposite: the working surface of the microstimulator is 86% micro-holes, so the action is distributed across thousands of tiny alveoli simultaneously rather than concentrated. At up to 21,600 microstimulations per minute, the client experiences a fast, even, rhythmic action rather than a single dragging point. That distribution is the whole idea — it is what “multi micro alveolar” describes.

Where did the idea come from?

From anatomy, not from marketing. Roboderm® was inspired by the work of Prof. Jean-Claude Guimberteau on the microvacuolar structure of connective tissue — his study of the sliding mechanics of subcutaneous structures describes the microvacuole as the functional unit of that tissue. i-Tech’s engineering premise was that a stimulation pattern scaled to that structure would be more appropriate than one scaled to the hand or to a suction cup. Prof. Maullu and Prof. Scuderi later published on MMAS in mechanised connective tissue massage according to the theory of the microvacuole; the full library sits behind the science and studies post.

What hardware actually delivers it?

Component	Count on body/beauty configurations	What it does on your menu
Robosolo	1	Single-hand large-surface work
Robotwins	2	Two-hand symmetrical application — both sides at once
Robomini	2	Smaller zones, contours, limbs
Robomicro	1 (with 6 attachments)	Face and precision zones
Total	11 handpieces	24 programmes on Beauty and Laser Beauty; 40 on Medical and Laser-Med

The Microfacial uses a different set — 17 handpieces and applicators including Microskin in two sizes, Microkiss in three sizes, the 650 nm LED Photodynamic handpiece, Robomini and Robomicro — because it is a face-only configuration.

Why does two-hand application matter commercially?

Because it changes the unit of work. Two-hand symmetrical application is exclusive to icoone®: paired Robotwins let one operator cover both sides of the body at once. For the client, a session feels symmetrical rather than sequential — no fifteen minutes of one leg followed by fifteen on the other. For the operator, a full-body base pass fits in a shorter block, which is what makes a 40–60-minute booking slot realistic. For your P&L, it means one therapist, one room, one session fee — no second body on the payroll to achieve the same coverage.

What are Grip modes and when do you change them?

Grip 1, 2 and 3 are the intensity settings documented in the U.S. manual. They are part of what your team learns in the included training, alongside handpiece selection, the programme library, consultation flow and the hygiene protocol. In practice a therapist moves through Grip modes based on zone and client comfort, and the programme handles the rest — the console is pre-set, not free-form, which is precisely why a competent therapist can be productive within an onboarding week rather than a quarter.

What does a client actually feel?

Roboderm® is non-thermal. There is no heat, no cold, no suction cup. It works on every skin type and is designed for daily use with no downtime, which is why hotel spas can put it on a same-day menu and why a client can book a session before an event. Clients most often describe a fast, even, rhythmic sensation and a session that feels active rather than passive. That description is worth putting in your booking copy verbatim, because the most common objection to a new modality is “what is it going to feel like”.

Why did luxury spas standardise on it?

Because a signature session needs three things: it has to be repeatable by any trained therapist, it has to feel unlike anything the guest gets elsewhere, and it cannot generate incidents. Roboderm® delivers all three — pre-set programmes for repeatability, two-hand symmetry for a distinctive feel, non-thermal daily-use design for safety margin. i-Tech reports 7,000+ centers in 40+ countries, 6M+ sessions a year and 800,000+ clients. Installed worldwide at Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, Dior Spa at The Lana in Dubai, Mandarin Oriental, Aman, Six Senses, Equinox Hotel New York, SHA Wellness Clinic and Clinique La Prairie, among others — a reference wall, not a client list.

In the U.S. the picture is different: fewer than 100 icoone® devices are installed nationwide. Practices that get one early are selling something no competitor within driving distance can offer.

How does the mechanism translate into menu language?

Write the menu from the mechanism outward. “Robotic microstimulation, two hands at once, 21,600 microstimulations a minute, no downtime” is specific, true and attributable to the manufacturer. Then attach it to the session your client is buying — a face session on the Microfacial or the aesthetic range, a drainage menu, cellulite-appearance programs or skin-tightening work.

One important boundary: regulatory language follows the model, not the technology. Only icoone® Laser Beauty (510(k) K182453) and icoone® Laser-Med (510(k) K211272) carry FDA clearance, and only for four labeled indications: relief of minor muscle aches and pain; relief of muscle spasms; temporary improvement of local blood circulation; temporary reduction in the appearance of cellulite. Roboderm® itself is the mechanism, not a clearance. All icoone® devices are CE marked and built under ISO 13485 in Bologna, Italy.

What does the platform cost?

$58,000 for the Microfacial (≈ $1,269/mo), $79,000 for Beauty (≈ $1,730/mo), $85,000 for Laser Beauty (≈ $1,860/mo), $87,000 for Medical (≈ $1,904/mo) and $89,000 for Laser-Med (≈ $1,948/mo) — all on a 60-month term at $0 down for qualified buyers, subject to applicant and provider approval. Full breakdown on icoone® cost and financing; availability and territory through DNA Distribution.