Raydiance introduces new product

PETALUMA, June 3, 2009 – Petaluma startup Raydiance Corp. introduced SmartLightMD, a software-controlled ultrafast laser that simplifies the manufacture of stents and other medical micro-devices.

The new system eliminates the need for post-processing steps normally required with traditional thermal laser manufacturing of stents.

"This is a very significant advance for stent manufacturing," said Russell Denton, stent manufacturing process expert and vice president for A1 Laser International. "The Raydiance technology allows me to cut a stent and put it directly into the final polishing process. Previously, I used thermal lasers to cut the initial design and then had to take several additional steps to remove melted material and prepare it for final polishing. ... SmartLightMD eliminates those steps."

Raydiance recently received a half-million dollar grant from the Navy to improve the fiber component of its ultra-short laser systems, which could possibly enable the manufacture of bio-absorbable stents, according to company President Scott Davison.

Raydiance employs about 60 in its Petaluma headquarters. The company has raised about $45 million in venture capital and $10 million in government research grants since being founded in 2000.