BIOLASE Awarded Two New Patents
For Laser Delivery Systems for Tooth Whitening, Pain Therapy and Medical Applications; For Various Configurations of Battery Operated Lasers With Wireless Transmitters
IRVINE, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/15/13 -- BIOLASE, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIOL), the world's leading manufacturer and distributor of dental lasers, announced today that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office ("USPTO") has awarded BIOLASE® two new patents.
Patent 8,439,904 titled "Tapered Fused Waveguide for Teeth Whitening" is related to providing specially designed waveguide delivery systems which can be coupled to lasers to deliver electromagnetic radiation to treatment sites with relatively uniform power distributions over wide illumination areas such as needed in tooth whitening and Low Level Laser Therapy ("LLLT").
Federico Pignatelli, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "Patent 8,439,904 is the fourth patent we have been issued in this family. This patent significantly expands and strengthens our IP portfolio in the area of applying laser energy to various parts of the body in order to optimize the clinical effects of future bactericidal surgical and, at the same time, whitening handpieces for dentistry, as well as additional handpieces for pain therapy, ophthalmology, and ENT."
"The ability to design specifically shaped delivery systems and magnify the output of a laser to configure to specific anatomy for a particular medical application is very important and this IP is being incorporated into a number of our laser delivery devices currently in development," said Dmitri Boutoussov, Chief Technology Officer. "It is rewarding that the USPTO continues to acknowledge our novel and innovative work which can be utilized for surgical, therapeutic, or diagnostic applications."
Patent 8,419,719 titled "Target-Close Electromagnetic Energy Emitting Device," a continuation of patent 7,815,630 with the same title, covers a number of variations for having a battery operated laser guided with a wireless transmitter and receiver controlled by a separate graphical user interface ("GUI") unit. Examples of applications of this patent include mounting a laser and sterile delivery system for electromagnetic energy and fluids on the finger, hand, wrist, or eyeglasses and mounting the control GUI on articles of clothing such as a belt, headband, or armband.
"This broad new patent is an advanced and futuristic approach looking ahead to an era of wearable lasers. Such technology could have far-reaching applications not only in hard- and soft-tissue procedures and pain therapy in dentistry and medicine, but could also be used in applications for scientific, industrial, and consumer products, as well," Pignatelli concluded.
Additional claims specifically cover BIOLASE's unique ComfortPulse™ laser pulse characteristics included in the EPIC®, ezlase®, and iLase® soft-tissue diode lasers and diode laser wavelengths ranging from 915nm to 980nm.
About BIOLASE, Inc.
BIOLASE, Inc. is a biomedical company that develops, manufactures, and markets lasers in dentistry and medicine and also markets and distributes high-end 2D and 3D digital imaging equipment and CAD/CAM intraoral scanners; products that are focused on technologies that advance the practice of dentistry and medicine. The Company's laser products incorporate over 350 patented and patent-pending technologies designed to provide biologically clinically superior performance with less pain and faster recovery times. Its imaging products provide cutting-edge technology at competitive prices to deliver the best results for dentists and patients. BIOLASE's principal products are dental laser systems that perform a broad range of dental procedures, including cosmetic and complex surgical applications, and a full line of dental imaging equipment. BIOLASE has sold more than 22,500 lasers.
Other products under development address ophthalmology and other medical and consumer markets.
For updates and information on WaterLase® and laser dentistry, find BIOLASE online at www.biolase.com, Facebook at www.facebook.com/biolaseinc, Twitter at www.twitter.com/biolaseinc, Pinterest at www.pinterest.com/biolase, Linkedin at www.linkedin.com/company/biolase, Instagram at www.instagram.com/biolaseinc and YouTube at www.youtube.com/biolasevideos.
BIOLASE®, WaterLase®, EPIC®, ezlase®, and iLase® and ComfortPulse™ are registered trademarks or trademarks of BIOLASE, Inc.
For further information, please contact: Michael Porter Porter, LeVay & Rose, Inc. 212-564-4700
Source: BIOLASE, Inc.
Released May 15, 2013