Denver Start-Up Bites Into Dental Industry With New Device
The next time the proverbial light bulb of ideas comes on in your head, don’t just dismiss it as a passing thought — it might just turn into a successful start-up technology.
That’s what happened with Denver-based start-up Lumed Science, which formed in 2012 after one of its founders had a brainstorm during a dental appointment.
Three years later, Lumed Science, a medical tool company with headquarters at Larimer Street, is finally ready to launch its first product — the Light-Emitting Aspirating Prop (LEAP).
According to BusinessDen.com, the LEAP, a wireless device that gently holds dental patients’ jaws open while illuminating the inside of their mouths, will make its debut in the next two weeks or so. The first batch of 25 devices will be sent to Lumed’s clients.
“It’s for oral procedures where dentists would normally use a bite block. It’s usually just a piece of plastic. What we’ve done is integrate high-end LED lighting that’s completely wireless,” Michael Bojanowski, Lumed CEO and LEAP’s designer, said. “Our whole goal is to make it easier for doctors to see what they’re doing.”
By equipping the dental bite block with a light, dental professionals will be able to better see their patients’ teeth, of which they have 24 on average. The LEAP is completely autoclavable, meaning it can be sterilized and re-used for multiple patients unlike similar medical devices, according to Bojanowski. The device has received FDA approval and is manufactured in the U.S. and assembled in Englewood.
BusinessDen.com reports that the LEAP will sell for $67. When the device reaches the end of its three-month battery lifespan, it can be sent back to Lumed Science for recycling and a replacement can be bought.
While Lumed Science is currently focusing all its efforts on the LEAP’s launch, Bojanowski said the company has some ideas for other technology products waiting to be pursued in the future.
“We do have a couple other products in the pipeline focusing on ears, nose and throat,” he said. “There’s a million different ways you can integrate vision and lighting into medical procedures. We’re going to start with the mouth and work our way down.”
