The Research Foundation for the State University of New York has been issued a U.S. patent for the Ortek electronic caries detection (ECD) device, according to Ortek Therapeutics.
The technology was developed at Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine, and Ortek has exclusive worldwide licensing rights to this patented technology.
The ECD is designed to detect precarious lesions in molars and premolars, teeth with the highest caries rates, that cannot be readily detected by visual examination or x-rays, and clinical studies show the device can detect the earliest stages of tooth demineralization with 100% accuracy, according to the company.
The device has also received patents in Australia, China, and Mexico, and Ortek is now evaluating commercialization strategies and is pursuing U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and worldwide marketing clearances.
"We believe the ECD is a major breakthrough in oral care," stated Mitchell Goldberg, president of Ortek Therapeutics, in a press release. "Dental professionals will soon have a new and valuable tool that will help their patients avoid cavities."
