According to the American Heart Association, coronary heart disease is the single leading cause of death in America today. It estimates that more than 13 million people in the United States alone have some form of coronary heart disease, leading to nearly 500,000 deaths each year. Laserscope is a pioneer in the development of PDT laser systems and devices, and the leading medical laser company in the emerging PDT market. The company's lasers are powerful solid-state systems. They are small, portable and capable of being used for various other surgical procedures.
Competitive systems are less powerful and less versatile.
Each pharmaceutical agent has its own unique set of side effects. Patients must avoid direct sunlight for four to six weeks as well as take other related precautions. Early laser systems for PDT consisted of primarily very large scientific argon lasers, much larger in size and weight than the average household refrigerator. Advances in optics and electronics led to smaller, more powerful systems. Today, Laserscope's PDT system is the most powerful system available and about one-fifth the size of the earlier systems.