IRVINE, CA, Sep 14, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) —
BIOLASE Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: BLTI), the World’s leading dental laser manufacturer and distributor, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued BIOLASE a new patent, number 8,002,544, titled “Fluid Controllable Laser Endodontic Cleaning and Disinfecting System.”
The new patent is the 10th issued patent in this field and significantly strengthens the Company’s intellectual property (IP). It relates to the use of an endodontic probe to perform disinfection procedures within the root canal. The endodontic probe can be loaded with biologically-active particles, cleaning particles, biologically-active agents or cleaning agents for delivery to the target tissues. It also includes an adjustable channel-depth indicator, a practical way to measure and control the depth of the probe for root canal procedures as well as other features to further improve cleaning/disinfection.
According to multiple sources, 30 to 50 million root canal procedures are performed in the US per year with the drill and metal endodontic files. Despite various improvements in conventional therapy, failure rates continue to range between 10 and 15 percent requiring more than three million additional advanced dental procedures. Primary causes of this high rate of failures include under filled or missed root canals, tooth fractures, and inadequate cleaning which result in leakage, bacterial contamination or re-contamination. Recent studies have shown that improving the effectiveness of cleaning and disinfection at the apex of the tooth doubled the chance for a successful clinical outcome while every millimeter missed reduced the success rate by 12 percent.
Researchers have also found that bacteria and toxins from root canals are capable of entering the bloodstream and traveling to any point in the body generating disease in tissue or organs. A link between root canal treatment and diabetes, arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus and host of auto immune diseases has been reported by the non-profit research foundation Toxic Element Research foundation (TERF).
Federico Pignatelli, Chairman and CEO, commented, “Our current Endolase(TM) Root Canal Therapy System utilizing our Waterlase Er,Cr:YSGG technology with our patented radial firing tips and clinically proven technique has shown the ability to reduce root canal bacterial levels by 99.7 percent. We believe that elements included in this new patent in combination with our other related IP may allow us to finally achieve the goal of every company in the industry — complete root canal sterilization.
“The substantial reduction in root canal treatment time proposed by the new endodontic technique in addition to the approximately 3X improvement documented in the scientific clinical literature with our technology over the current standard, should attract even more General Practitioners and Endodontists that have not yet adopted laser endodontic therapy,” continued Pignatelli. “We have a number of doctors who are providing their patients with the confidence that they will not be the 1 in 10 who will require an additional expensive dental procedure, usually from an endodontic specialist.”
About BIOLASE Technology, Inc. BIOLASE Technology, Inc., the World’s leading Dental Laser company, is a medical technology company that develops, manufactures and markets dental lasers and also distributes and markets dental imaging equipment, products that are focused on technologies that advance the practice of dentistry and medicine. The Company’s laser products incorporate patented and patent pending technologies designed to provide 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. Other products under development address ophthalmology and other medical and consumer markets.
For updates and information on laser and Waterlase dentistry, find BIOLASE at http://www.biolase.com, Twitter at http://twitter.com/GoWaterlase, and YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/Rossca08.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of safe harbor provided by the Securities Reform Act of 1995 that are based on the current expectations and estimates by our management. These forward-looking statements can be identified through the use of words such as “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “may,” “will,” and variations of these words or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current, preliminary expectations and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from the statements contained herein, and are described in the Company’s reports it files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual and quarterly reports. No undue reliance should be placed on forward-looking statements. Such information is subject to change, and we undertake no obligation to update such statements.
For further information, please contact:
Jill Bertotti
Allen & Caron
+1-949-474-4300
SOURCE: BIOLASE Technology, Inc.