• IsoTis OrthoBiologics (Irvine, California) reported that it received 510(k) clearances from the FDA for the use of Accell Connexus and OrthoBlast II in dental indications. Accell Connexus is a highly osteoinductive bone graft substitute that the company said provides exceptional handling and graft containment. The putty includes growth factors TGF- Beta-1 and various natural human bone morphogenetic proteins (nhBMPs). Compared to first generation demineralized bone matrix particles (DBM) products, the AccellRx process on which Accell Connexus is based yields a higher level of TGF- Beta-1 and nhBMPs, which act synergistically to stimulate new bone formation. Employing a reverse phase medium (RPM), Accell Connexus thickens at body temperature and resists irrigation so the nhBMPs are delivered at the surgical site where they are needed. OrthoBlast II is a combination of DBM with cancellous bone chips delivered in RPM. The product is malleable at operating room temperatures, but thickens when placed in the operative site. This allows the DBM particles and bone chips to be contained at the graft site with minimal loss through irrigation and suction.

• Laserscope (San Jose, California), a manufacturer of medical lasers and fiber-optic delivery devices, said it will feature its two leading laser technology platforms, the Gemini and GreenLight PV laser systems, in a variety of research studies and presentations at the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery meeting ongoing through Sunday in Boston.

• Protedyne (Windsor, Connecticut), a lab automation provider, reported the unveiling of its new Radius robotic system. The benchtop automation platform is designed with a radial arm to provide the highest level of flexibility for laboratories. Radius is built using the principles of industrial design, ensuring reliability, speed and precision. Radius can accommodate a variety of applications in diagnostic testing as well as biotech and pharmaceutical research. Designed to be compact, Radius is driven by an inverted SCARA (Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm) robot to allow for the most useable work space on deck. The robot can also reach outside its frame, offering greater device integration options. Radius uses the company's interchangeable SmartTools, and can automatically pick up the correct tool without user intervention.

• Sonic Innovations (Salt Lake City), a producer of advanced digital hearing aids and auditory testing equipment, reported the introduction of Ion, featuring the latest in hearing aid design, at the AudiologyNOW! meeting of the American Academy of Audiology in Minneapolis. Ion is an open-ear hearing aid primarily targeted for the first time hearing aid wearer, who currently represents 40% of the purchasers of hearing aids in the U.S. Smallest in class, yet powerful enough to fit a wide range of high-frequency hearing loss, the company said Ion is discreet in appearance, comfortable to wear, and described as more natural sounding than conventional hearing aids. The open behind-the-ear design means the electronic components are housed in a small case that hides behind the ear. A thin, clear tube directs sound into the ear canal where a soft dome holds the tube in place.

• Stone Bond Technologies (Boston), a provider of laboratory information management and data integration systems, reported that its Enterprise Enabler and EE-LIMS systems have achieved GeneChip-compatible status with the Affymetrix (Santa Clara, California) GeneChip microarray platform for gene expression and genetic variation analysis in biomedical R&D. As a GeneChip-compatible software provider and participant in the Affymetrix GeneChip-compatible Applications Program, the company's Enterprise Enabler integrates seamlessly with the Affymetrix GeneChip microarray platform, allowing laboratories to automate sample data import and test result outflow to and from the Affymetrix GeneChip Operating Software using Stone Bond's EE-LIMS system.

• ThermoGenesis (Rancho Cordova, California) reported that it has received notice from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office of the allowance of 20 new patent claims for the company's Thrombin Processing Device (TPD). TPD is a hand-held, disposable device that produces thrombin from a patient's own blood or plasma in less than 30 minutes. This is ThermoGenesis' third patent on the preparation of autologous thrombin, bringing the company's total to 157 claims. The TPD is now being used by European surgeons to produce platelet gels from a patient's own blood to help control surgical bleeding and accelerate wound healing.