The Latest Innovation in Minimal Incision Brow Lift Surgery: BioGlue® Surgical Adhesive

(New York, NY) The first areas to show signs of aging are the regions around the eyes and forehead. Drooping of the skin on the brows and of the eyebrows themselves can be due to loose skin and fat loss around the brow, forehead and temples. Age, sun damage, and furrowing of the brow can also create wrinkles. A common procedure, the brow lift, also called a forehead lift, can improve all these problems and produce a younger, more refreshed look.

Until now, the gold standard in lifting the brow and forehead in brow lift surgery has been by utilizing sutures or Endotines. Now with the introduction of BioGlue® Surgical Adhesive, surgeons can perform a less invasive brow lift with a faster, more comfortable recovery time.

Joseph Eviatar, MD, board certified Ophthalmologist and Oculoplastic Surgeon at Chelsea Eye and Cosmetic Surgery Associates in New York City, is one of the investigators for BioGlue® and is involved in an FDA clinical trial. According to Eviatar, “So far, BioGlue® has been approved for use in cardiac and vascular reconstructive surgery. We are working to get approval for use of BioGlue® in cosmetic procedures such as endoscopic brow lifts where it has really proved to make a difference.”

BioGlue® is a two-component adhesive that creates a flexible, mechanical seal, independent of the body’s clotting mechanism, within 20 to 30 seconds, and reaches its maximum bonding strength in two to three minutes. Dr. Eviatar utilizes the BioGlue® to fixate the brow when performing endoscopic and transblepharoplasty brow lifts. Fewer incisions or “holes” are made when using this surgical adhesive as sutures, Endotines and screws are not needed. “There is no foreign device left in the body and BioGlue® gets absorbed by the body within a few months,” adds Eviatar.

CryoLife, Inc.
800.438.8285
www.cryolife.com

Source: CryoLife

Elemé Medical Announces $18 million “Series C” Financing

Elemé Medical Inc., a private venture-backed aesthetics company building a franchise in the body shaping market with an initial focus on treatment of cellulite, announced that it has raised $18 million in a “Series C” financing led by L Capital Partners- www.lcapitalpartners.com.

The C round also included new investor Hambrecht & Quist Capital Management (www.hqcm.com), as well as returning investors Three Arch Partners (www.threearchpartners.com) and EDF Ventures (www.edfvc.com). The funds will be used to commercialize the Company’s FDA-cleared SmoothShapes® System and also to develop the Company’s pipeline of body shaping technologies. Ting Pau Oei, a partner at L Capital Partners, and Daniel R.Omstead, Ph.D., President and CEO of Hambrecht & Quist Capital Management, will join the board of directors of Elemé Medical.

The SmoothShapes® System uses a proprietary technology called Photomology® to treat the underlying causes of cellulite. Thermal and non-destructive, Photomology’s unique mechanism of action combines dynamic laser and light energy with mechanical massage and vacuum to specifically affect the underlying tissue responsible for the visible manifestations of cellulite. Results include improved appearance of cellulite with tighter, smoother skin that patients can see and feel.

“The fact that we have raised a significant round of financing from sophisticated investors in a down market bears strong testimony to the validity of our approach to treating cellulite,” said Nancy M. Briefs, President and CEO. “We have said all along that our claims about SmoothShapes are based exclusively on results obtained in rigorous, independent and ongoing clinical studies of the System. Indeed, the due diligence conducted by our new investors and their ensuing investment in Elemé Medical further substantiates our technology’s robust scientific foundation.”

“We are intrigued by the immense size of the potential market for the SmoothShapes device,” explained lead investor L Capital Partners’ Ting Pau Oei, who spent 22 years prior to joining L Capital Partners at Johnson & Johnson, the last 12 at JJDC, Johnson & Johnson’s venture capital arm. “Equally important, Elemé Medical’s pipeline of other patented technologies is considerable, with 35 issued patents in the portfolio, thereby providing a very substantial barrier to entry in the body shaping sector.“

About Elemé Medical
Elemé Medical Inc., headquartered in Merrimack, N.H., is dedicated to providing market-leading technology in all areas of body contouring. Its SmoothShapes® System, a medical device with FDA clearance to market, launched in spring 2008.

Elemé Medical, Inc.
603.816.1920
www.elememedical.com

Source: Elemé Medical, Inc.

Smile Reminder Brings Botox Lovers Back for More!

Smile Reminder Service Uses Real Time Messaging to Keep Botox Patients Informed, Updated and On-Time

Lehi, UT – August 6, 2008, 2008 – Smile Reminder, which is now being used by medical spas, plastic surgeons and dermatologists, allows patients to communicate directly with their doctor or esthetician via text messaging or email, sending them personalized reminders about their upcoming Botox appointments. When Botox patients haven’t scheduled a follow-up visit, Smile Reminder’s “recare” feature automatically sends a friendly notice, reminding them that if they don’t return soon, their wrinkles surely will. The “recare” reminders generate revenue that could otherwise be lost, while simultaneously providing patients a much appreciated service.

Days after treatment, Botox patients see wrinkles disappear right before their eyes. (As well as right above their eyes, right below their eyes…) But with so much competition, Smile Reminder’s “recare” service ensures their return to the same doctor or esthetician for repeat business. The Smile Reminder service makes the process of booking return office visits as smooth as the patient’s new complexion.
Not only does Smile Reminder serve as a convenient tool for customers, but it also enables doctors to send birthday or holiday greetings, group messaging and updates on last minute cancellations. Smile Reminder takes the worry (and the worry lines) out of confirming appointments. The result: extra time for the staff to handle more important business.

“Scheduling office visits is time consuming for both the patient and staff,” says Smile Reminder CEO Jim Higgins. “Smile Reminder gives doctors and estheticians a direct route of communication while concurrently giving patients access to all pertinent information. This enhanced experience allows both doctors and patients to benefit equally. The end result is time saved and revenue generated.”
With Smile Reminder, doctors can instill in their patients the kind of convenience and comfort they deserve when scheduling each upcoming procedure. The “recare” feature provides patients helpful reminders as well as helping doctors and estheticians to obtain additional revenue, giving both parties a little something more to smile about.

ABOUT SMILE REMINDER
Smile Reminder, the pioneer in text and email messaging to patients, is the clear leader in providing patient communication and interaction solutions for health-care providers.

Smile Reminder’s patent-pending solution enables practices to increase revenue, streamline efficiencies and build patient loyalty. Based on purpose-driven technology, Smile Reminder equips practices with a “high-tech” solution that does not sacrifice the “high-touch” personalization when communicating with patients. Smile Reminder messaging solutions include every type of personalized patient e-communication including appointment reminders, confirmations, “recare”/recall, new patient referrals, birthday wishes, holiday wishes, surveys, newsletters, customized promotions and more. Smile Reminder enhances its messaging solution with SmileDash.com, an online patient interaction suite. Patients can now interact with their provider online in a secure environment to pay bills, view patient images, send secure messages, download forms, and more.

Smile Reminder
866.605.6867
www.smilereminder.com

Source: Smile Reminder

LaserTight Introduces First Portable CO2 Fractional Handpiece

First portable CO2 fractional handpiece converts CO2 lasers into a fractional system with treatment options capability

Cherry Hill, NJ – August 06, 2008 – LaserTight LLC announced today the company will be showcasing the first portable CO2 fractional handpiece, SelectScan, at four major medical trade shows, scheduled to be held this fall.

A LaserTight spokesperson stated that the SelectScan portable fractional hand piece offers physicians a cost-effective way to convert their CO2 lasers into a fractional system. The conversion enables the CO2 owner to offer a wider array of services including the ability to meet patient demand for the popular fractionated procedures.

A distinct advantage of the SelectScan portable fractional hand piece, according to the company, is that it affords the physician the option of choosing the best applicable treatment parameters from among 8 different scan patterns. Based on patients’ needs and available recovery time, the SelectScan portable fractional hand piece can be used for procedures ranging from micro-ablative to conventional deep ablative. The deeper dermal penetration scanning mode removes unwanted skin cells and wrinkles while simultaneously effecting long-term remodeling of collagen.

Still recognized as the gold standard for facial rejuvenation and tissue tightening CO2 ablative procedures have, however, declined in popularity over the past few years, in part due to the post-procedure downtime patients experience.

Conversely, fractional CO2 resurfacing is rapidly growing in popularity. In this procedure the laser beams ablate defined miniscule areas without damaging the surrounding skin. The fact that the entire epidermis is not ablated accounts for the rapid healing time; and, the skin not targeted by the laser beams triggers a natural healing process that effects skin tightening and promotes collagen genesis.

SelectScan CO2 fractionated treatment is a 30 minute in-office procedure requiring only topical anesthetic. FDA cleared, the SelectScan CO2 portable fractional hand piece uses no consumables and has been used on over 500 patients.

About LaserTight LLC
LaserTight™ is a developer and seller of FDA cleared laser devices for medical and aesthetic applications. The company offers a range of products that include LaserTight and SelectScan™ along with extensive product support systems that include training, continuing education, physician networking, and product servicing.

LaserTight LLC
856.216.2280
www.lasertight.com

Source: LaserTight LLC