IRVINE, CA--(Marketwire - April 06, 2010) - BIOLASE Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: BLTI), the world’s leading dental laser company, today announced that a presentation this week at a national meeting of eye surgeons will cover the multiple benefits and promising potential applications that its newest water-based laser technologies have for eye surgery. Erin Stahl, M.D., a pediatric and refractive surgeon at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, will present a comprehensive paper, outlining benefits such as minimal pain and the prevention of the flow of bleeding, or hemostasis, to the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery Symposium and Congress in Boston, Massachusetts.
In her paper titled “The Use of a Novel, Water-Based Laser to Cut and Coagulate Anterior Segment Tissue,” Dr. Stahl concluded that BIOLASE’s water-based laser technology now well accepted in dentistry “has the potential to be a multipurpose cutting tool that could be used across disciplines” in eye surgery. The multiple ophthalmic applications for the BIOLASE laser technology include presbyopia, plastic surgery, glaucoma, strabismus (the abnormal alignment of the eyes) and anterior segment/sclera.
Dr. Stahl noted that, in general, there are similarities to the uses of water-based laser technologies in dentistry and eye surgery in part because the tissues in the mouth are very similar to those on and around the eye. Dr. Stahl has investigated using a YSGG Waterlase Laser created by BIOLASE to cut various ocular tissues in a laboratory setting.
“The water-based laser device has been very successful in dentistry because it can cut hard and soft tissue and has a unique way of cutting, with low inflammation and a lack of bleeding,” Dr. Stahl said. “That may translate into a variety of potential uses for ophthalmology for such things as bone sculpting and tissue dissection with hemostatis for plastic surgery, angle surgery for glaucoma, and scleral incisions for relaxing procedures or implant placement.”
The presentation was accompanied by a video provided by Jose Maria Rodriguez, M.D., an ophthalmologic surgeon at Hospital Ramon Y Caial in Madrid, Spain. Dr. Rodriguez is a global leader in experimenting with lasers in eye surgery.
BIOLASE has developed a variety of water-based dental laser systems as well as the FDA-cleared OCCULASE MD™ Laser System, developed specifically for general ophthalmic soft tissue surgical applications including presbyopia, or the inability to focus on near objects, typically due to aging. Presbyopia affects a majority of adults over the age of 40.
Dr. Stahl is the daughter of Daniel S. Durrie, M.D., a member of the BIOLASE Board of Directors. She has no personal financial interest in the Company.
About BIOLASE Technology, Inc.
BIOLASE Technology, Inc. (http://www.biolase.com), the world’s leading dental laser company, develops, manufactures and markets Waterlase technology and lasers and related products that advance the practice of dentistry and medicine. The Company’s products incorporate patented and patent pending technologies designed to provide clinically superior performance with reduced pain and faster recovery times. BIOLASE’s principal products are dental laser systems that perform a broad range of dental procedures, including cosmetic and complex surgical applications. Other products under development address ophthalmology, pain management and other medical and consumer markets.
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 (investor) and Len Hall (media), of Allen & Caron, +1-949-474-4300.
