BIOLASE Technology, Inc. Issued New Patent That Strengthens its Expansion Into the Treatment of Eye Conditions, Including Presbyopia

IRVINE, CA--(Marketwire - September 08, 2011) - 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 7,997,279, titled “Methods for Treating Eye Conditions.”

The new patent is the 13th patent issued in the ophthalmic patent family with 20 additional patents pending. It continues and expands patent number 7,665,467 with broad claims covering the use of laser technology for treating various conditions of the eye, including presbyopia, and opens up opportunities in oculoplastics, plus the treatment of glaucoma and cataracts.

Presbyopia is the inability to focus sharply for near vision. It currently affects approximately 35 percent of the U.S. population and more than 2 billion people worldwide.

Federico Pignatelli, Chairman and CEO, commented, “This new patent and those that are currently under application continue to strengthen the intellectual property we own in the ophthalmology segment, a market we intend to pursue in the coming year.”

The Company also announced that it has formed a new business entity, OCULASE, Inc., which is a Delaware corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of BIOLASE. OCULASE will own and develop the Company’s ophthalmic assets and technologies. The formation of OCULASE is the next step in developing an operating unit that is focused specifically on diseases and conditions of the eye, in order to capitalize on BIOLASE’s many years of technology development in the ocular field, the 33 existing and pending patents related to treating the eye, and the growing interest among third parties in partnering, investing, or owning ocular-related technology.

“The value of our technology in ophthalmology warrants a move in this direction,” continued Pignatelli. “We plan to deliver that value to our shareholders using a variety of methods. At the same time, we do not wish to dilute the value of our core dental platform. The founding of OCULASE marks a new beginning that will allow us to organize into two business segments and to have the flexibility to choose among several financial and strategic options by leveraging our innovative ophthalmology technology platform.”

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.