A Medical Device Daily

Milestone Scientific (Livingston, New Jersey), which makes "intelligent" computer-controlled local anesthetic delivery systems, reported entering into a strategic sales and marketing relationship with Corestrength (Melbourne Beach, Florida).

Corestrength will provide and manage a team of independent sales representatives that will cover the U.S. and Canada for Milestone. Corestrength will support Milestone's sales and marketing activities involving its new Single Tooth Anesthesia (STA) product, which is scheduled for market launch in 1Q07.

Corestrength will provide the training and sales support required of the dental distributor sales force. That will include co-traveling and dental show support.

Corestrength provides support services that are designed to build sales and brand awareness for dental product companies.

The STA device is designed to significantly improve the efficiency of a procedure that is highly valued among dentists – the periodontal ligament injection. Currently, dentists typically assure effective anesthetic administration by using a mandibular block, which deadens a quarter of the face in addition to the single tooth being worked on.

Unfortunately, dentists "miss" the targeted area for the anesthesia about 30% of the time, Milestone said, requiring multiple injections and more patient time in the chair. In addition, "block" anesthesia inconveniences the patient in a number of ways, as the lip, tongue and cheek are made numb as an avoidable side effect of this technique.

Document Security Systems (DSS; Rochester, New York), which offers patented protection against counterfeiting and unauthorized copying, scanning and photo imaging, said that it has signed a letter of agreement valued at $1 million with the Ergonomic Group (EGI; Garden City Park, New York). EGI will be granted an exclusive right to use and market DSS's portfolio of security technologies in its channel markets for a two-year term.

DSS and EGI will jointly develop and market customized security solutions to EGI's client base in key vertical markets, primarily those in the high technology, aerospace, financial and healthcare industries.

Under this agreement, DSS will receive an initial non-refundable license fee totaling $500,000 by not later than Sept. 15, and an additional $500,000 in non-refundable pre-paid royalty fees by Nov. 30. EGI will pay DSS royalty fees on all EGI sales for security products that contain DSS's technology. Both parties anticipate that product development should be completed by year-end.

EGI is a technology solutions provider that analyzes and resolves business and information technology issues for its client customers. As a value-added reseller, its solutions encompass proven, best-of-breed technologies covering all areas of networking, storage, compliance, capacity planning, lifecycle management, and security. EGI holds about 4.9% of DSS's outstanding stock.

Peter Ettinger, president of DSS, said, "The Ergonomic Group has a strong technology presence in these critical vertical markets that are heavily impacted and defrauded by sophisticated counterfeiting methods. EGI recognizes the value of integrating our security solutions into their products and services to better address their clients' needs. We expect our partnership to accelerate our penetration into these markets seeking document security solutions for wide-ranging applications."