LightForce™ Orthodontics Announces Patent Approval for Customized Braces System

USA - English

• USA - English

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 07, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- LightForce Orthodontics, headquartered in Cambridge Mass., announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued U.S. Patent No. 10,241,499 in March of 2019 for claims covering ceramic processing for the direct manufacture of customized labial and lingual orthodontic brackets. The patent provides intellectual property protection for the LightForce Orthodontics system that includes case-planning software and on-demand, 3D fabrication of customized orthodontic appliances.

The patent issuance is the final step prior to the official LightForce product launch, taking place at the AAO 2019 Annual Session in Los Angeles, CA. In January of 2019, the company received 510(k) clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its system consisting of proprietary treatment planning software, 3D-printed brackets, and custom placement trays. Since being founded in 2015, the company has raised $6.6 million dollars across two rounds of venture funding. Most recently, the company closed its Series A funding in September 2018 with investments by Matrix Partners and AM Ventures totaling $5.1 million dollars.

"While aligner-based treatment services like Invisalign® generate lots of news, we estimate that aligner therapy cases make up less than 15% of the cases the typical practice treats, with the rest being treated by fixed appliances. The LightForce system represents one of the most significant technological upgrades to bracket-based orthodontics in modern times, and it will continue to evolve and elevate the profession.," said Dr. Alfred Griffin III, the CEO and founder of LightForce.

With the LightForce system, orthodontic brackets are custom-designed based on the patient's exact tooth morphology and the clinician's specific treatment plan. Unlike current braces that are bulk produced using a standardized design for all patients, LightForce brackets are 3D-printed from a proprietary ceramic material at the LightForce facility. The brackets are then shipped to the practice in customized bonding trays that allow the clinician to place the brackets in segments versus one at a time. In creating a biomechanically unique set of braces for each patient, LightForce can enhance treatment efficiency and better accommodate otherwise challenging clinical situations.

For more information, visit lightforceortho.com.

ABOUT LIGHTFORCE ORTHODONTICS
LightForce Orthodontics, headquartered in Cambridge Mass., makes the world's first and only fully customized 3D-printed bracket system. The system unites the latest in digital treatment capabilities with cutting-edge on-demand, 3D manufacturing to offer clinicians the first significant advancement in bracket-based treatment protocol in the past 50 years. For more information, visit lightforceortho.com or follow LightForce on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

ABOUT MATRIX PARTNERS
Matrix Partners is a premier venture capital firm that has generated outstanding returns for more than three decades. By focusing on early-stage investments and emphasizing long-term relationships with entrepreneurs, the firm has delivered several of the industry's top performing funds of all time. Founded in 1977, Matrix Partners has U.S. offices in Cambridge and San Francisco as well as offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Mumbai, and Bangalore. Matrix Partners has invested in several game-changing, industry-leading businesses such as Apple Computer, Aruba, Starent Networks, HubSpot, Oculus (Acquired by Facebook), Echonest (Acquired by Spotify), Zendesk, Acacia Communications, Markforged, and Lightmatter.

ABOUT AM VENTURES
AM Ventures Holding GmbH (AMV) is an independent, strategic investor focusing on advanced manufacturing and industrial 3D printing. The company was founded by Dr. Hans J. Langer, CEO of the EOS Group, in 2015. With the aim of making industrial 3D Printing a key manufacturing technology of the future, AMV funds and develops innovative start-ups which focus on industrial-3D-Printing-related hardware, software, materials or applications.

SOURCE LightForce Orthodontics