Leeds Dental Technology Start-up launched

Dental technology company, D-Sense Ltd., launched this week, backed by an initial £250,000 equity investment by the White Rose Technology Seedcorn Fund (WRTSF). The new company will commercially develop an innovative device that painlessly detects and measures tooth sensitivity, based on a diagnostic technique patented by Professor Neil Meredith from the Dental Institute, University of Leeds.

Tooth sensitivity affects around 20% of the UK population and is due to the exposure of dentine on the root surface of the tooth below the gum line, which is linked by minute tubes directly to the nerve. The dentine can become hypersensitive to hot, cold or sweet stimuli. Not all of the dentine is sensitive, making it impossible for a dentist to identify problem areas by visual inspection. Left untreated, the condition can cause irreversible damage to the nerve of the tooth.

The device will measure the permeability of the dentine by means of a sterile probe held against the surface of the tooth. The probe measures electrical impedance, painlessly identifying areas and scale of sensitivity, so that the appropriate treatment can be selected.

Considerable interest has been shown in this new technology by dental practices in the UK and Europe and by specialist distributors to the dental profession.

Chairman of D-Sense, Dr David Belford, said:
"The technology is proven and initial trials have been successful. We are confident of commercial success backed by further equity investment later in the year."

Professor Neil Meredith, founder and Managing Director of D-Sense, who has already set up a successful dental technology company, said:
"Our new probe will take just a few seconds to accurately detect and assess sensitive areas so that the patient can be treated appropriately as soon as possible. We see considerable opportunity for marketing related diagnostic instruments through D-Sense."

The WRTSF is a venture capital fund owned by the universities of Leeds, Sheffield and York and invests in commercial opportunities arising from research at each of the three universities. The fund is advised by Aberdeen Murray Johnstone and has made 14 investments to date.

D-Sense was advised by Leeds Innovations, the technology transfer company established to assist in the commercial development of research at the University of Leeds.

Contacts: Professor Neil Meredith, Managing Director, D-Sense Ltd, tel: 07710 329009 (mobile), email n.meredith@leeds.ac.uk

Gerry White, Investment Manager, White Rose Technology Seedcorn Fund, tel: +44 (0) 113 242 2644, email gerry.white@aberdeen-asset.com

Jo Kelly, campuspr, tel +44 (0) 113 258 9880, mobile 07980 267756, email jokelly@campuspr.co.uk

Notes to editors:

1. Dental pain affects some 30-50% of the UK population, with around a third of these experiencing dentine hypersensitivity (Tooth Wear and Sensitivity, Martin Addy, 2000). Treatment may be carried out simply by the patient at home using a desensitising toothpaste or in the surgery by the dentist using more advanced procedures and even laser treatments.

2. Professor Meredith holds the Chair in Clinical Biomaterials in Relation to Restorative Dentistry at Leeds Dental Institute. In 1992 he was awarded a PhD (U.London) in Biomechanics. He has developed a new method of measuring dental implant performance as a function of resonance frequency (RFA). This work led to the award of a second PhD (U.Gothenburg) in 1997. He was the co-ordinator for an EC Demonstration Project (PL97/2257, 1997-2000: 2.2Meuros) to develop RFA. He is a Director, Shareholder and Consultant to Integration Diagnostics Ltd, a spin-off from Imperial College, London.

3. Until 1998 Dr Belford was a director of a large £500m turnover international group, Foseco plc, responsible for the growth of the Construction Chemicals Division. Since then he has been Chairman of a number of venture capital backed companies, usually with some equity investment, and has successfully achieved a number of turnaround situations leading to a trade sale exit. He is currently Chairman of Charles Walker Holdings Ltd, Bingley, the largest UK manufacturer of lightweight conveyor belts, which was acquired by Habasit AG of Switzerland in May 2000. He is also Chairman of Permastore Holdings Ltd, a manufacturer of glass-lined steel storage tanks.

4. The WRTSF was created in 1999 through the DTI's University Challenge competition. It provides finance for the commercialisation of leading edge research at the universities of Leeds, Sheffield and York. Working closely with the technology transfer companies at the member universities, the Fund can invest a maximum of £250,000 in opportunities that can demonstrate the following criteria:

• Research with protectable intellectual property
• A significant market opportunity
• A committed management team

More information at www.whiteroseseedcorn.com

5. Leeds Innovations is the University's technology transfer company and has created more than thirty spin-out companies based on innovative research within University departments. www.leedsinnovations.co.uk

Picture shows (l-r) Professor Neil Meredith (MD) and Dr David Belford (Chairman).
'Courtesy of Leeds University Media Services'.