Recent News and Articles on the Keywords: military + cellulite + hair  Related to the article below (Last Update: 8/5/2008)

Malaysia Star Russia eyes military return to Cuba The Age, Australia - His call comes amid persistent speculation about whether Russia is seeking a military presence in the country just 150 kilometres from the United States in ... Cuba has no interest in a new Russian presence Radio Netherlands CURRENTS / Russia emphasizes patriotic education The Daily Yomiuri Putin calls for restoring position in Cuba The Associated Press RTT News - New York Times all 176 news articles » ABC News Guantanamo case of Bin Laden driver Hamdan goes to military jury Los Angeles Times, CA - By Carol J. Williams, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA -- The war crimes case against Salim Ahmed Hamdan went to the military jury Monday ... Trial could bring US closer to closing Guantanamo The Associated Press Verdict expected in Guantanamo case Aljazeera.net Observing Guant?namo's military commission hearings Amnesty International Earthtimes (press release) - Human Rights Watch (press release) all 1,615 news articles » The Southern Ledger Pentagon extends US Marines in Afghanistan 1 month Xinhua, China - The senior military official spoke to The Associated Press on Monday on condition of anonymity because the formal announcement has not yet been made. ... US Marines ordered to remain in Afghanistan Christian Science Monitor Gates: Military's priority is to defeat extremists IndiaPost.com AFGHANISTAN: More Marines ordered to stay longer Los Angeles Times Pravda - PRESS TV all 415 news articles » US military deaths in Afghanistan region at 491 The Associated Press - 4, 2008, at least 491 members of the US military had died in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan as a result of the US invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001 ... Soldier's death reported by Army Indiana Gazette Several Fort Hood soldiers die overseas KCEN-TV Los Angeles soldier dies in Afghanistan San Jose Mercury News Houston Chronicle - KDBC all 55 news articles » TeleCommunication Systems wins $246M military contract Bizjournals.com, NC - TeleCommunication Systems has landed a military contract worth as much as $246 million over the next three years. The US Army is using TCS's World-Wide ... TCS Named Sole Awardee of US Army Contract for up to $246 Million ... CNNMoney.com all 11 news articles »  TSYS Maumelle bans fishing near military memorial Arkansas Online, AR - By Jake Sandlin (Contact) After hearing from veterans who want to encourage respect for a city memorial honoring the nation?s military, the Maumelle City ... Business news in brief Arkansas Online all 92 news articles » US military deaths in Iraq war at 4131 The Associated Press - 4, 2008, at least 4131 members of the US military have died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. ... Military releasing few details on soldier Brazosport Facts (subscription) Fort Carson soldier killed in Iraq 9NEWS.com all 39 news articles » Pyng Medical Enhances Distribution Network & Secures German ... MarketWatch - (CA:PYT: news, chart, profile) has shipped an initial order of 200 FAST1(R) Sternal Intraosseous Infusion Systems for use by the German military, ...CVE:PYT - OTC:CMTX First military commission doesn't end fairness debate USA Today - Gail Crawford, spokeswoman for the Office of Military Commissions, said the Pentagon never extended Miranda rights to Guantanamo detainees, so Hamdan was ... Jury deliberation begins in Hamdan military commission trial JURIST Detainee trial's fairness up for debate United Press International all 5 news articles » Voice of America Sri Lanka military says northern fighting kills 27 rebels Reuters India, India - COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lankan troops killed 27 Tamil Tiger rebels in fresh fighting in the country's far north, the military said on Tuesday, as government ... Sri Lankan Military: At Least 9 Tamil Tigers Killed During Recent ... Voice of America Post ceasefire, Colombo readies for LTTE attacks Hindu Military: Sri Lanka fighting kills 22 International Herald Tribune guardian.co.uk - EcoDiario.es all 894 news articles »

Military know-how combats cellulite, body hair

YOKNEAM, Israel--War: What is it good for? Developing equipment for eliminating wrinkles and unwanted body hair.

In the past few years, Syneron Medical, a company here that makes machines for aesthetic medical procedures like vein removal, has emerged as one of Israel's more noteworthy tech exporters. In its last quarter, ended in May, the company reported revenue of $23.7 million, up 28.3 percent from the year before, and net income of $8.8 million. Gross margins hover around 85 percent, the sort of levels usually associated only with software companies.

Back in May, daytime TV show "The View" showed off how Syneron's VelaSmooth system can sculpt out cellulite patches. Since its initial public offering on the Nasdaq in August 2004, the company's stock has climbed from $12 to above $20. For a while, it sold for $46.91 a share and surpassed Google in stock price gains following an IPO.

It's also a company that owes a heavy debt to the military, acknowledged chairman and co-founder Shimon Eckhouse. The company's eLight and eMax systems use an energy source--intense pulsed light (IPL)--that he helped create in the 1990s to remove paint from jet aircrafts.

Developing medical equipment is similar to creating weapons systems, said Eckhouse, who spent 17 years as a scientist at Israel's Armament Development Authority.

"When you are a weapons system designer...you are involved with electronics and optics and mechanics and software and explosives and that sort of thing. It is very multidisciplined," he said. "It is very hard in medicine...to do something in medicine without being multidisciplined. It involves imaging, high-energy sources, signal processing."

The evolution of the industry can partly be traced, like a lot of sectors here, to the military. One of the other big Israeli success stories in recent years is Given Imaging, which created a pill-size video camera that can provide doctors with a fairly comprehensive view of the human digestive system. The "pillcam" was invented by Gadi Iddan, a missile scientist at the Arms Development Authority.

The multidisciplinary approach is further reflected in the educational system. The Technion, the country's premier engineering and technical school, has its own medical school, a rarity for tech colleges. Spinouts from the university include Regentis, which has developed a human-synthetic protein that will enable people to regrow cartilage.

Then there is the contradictory status of doctors in Israel. On one hand, the profession remains revered.

"Every Jewish mother wants her boy to be a doctor," said Zeev Holtzman, chairman of Giza Venture Capital.

The country, though, is awash in M.D.s. Some are homegrown, while others have emigrated from the former Soviet Union. As a result, salaries are relatively low. A new doctor fresh out of training might start at $60,000 to $70,000 a year, less than his or her U.S. counterparts.

"It is not a good life being a doctor, unless you are a specialist or at a private clinic," said Chen Porat, CEO of UC-Care Medical Systems, which has devised a catheter for male patients. To escape, many try to form medical device companies.

Syneron's technology essentially cuts down the health risks associated with traditional systems for hair and blemish removal. Today, most of these systems use lasers or IPL to roast a follicle.

Light, though, gets absorbed by pigments in the skin and results in burning. To get around that, Syneron's systems beam down light, either laser or IPL, as well as conductive Radio Frequency (RF) energy. By using both, doctors don't need to derive as much energy from light and therefore reduce the risk of burning.

"To put it roughly, light initially heats up an object (to be removed) and the RF concentrates on the preheated areas," Eckhouse said.

"There has been an acceptance of aesthetic procedures in the last 10 years," Eckhouse said.

The VelaSmooth system for cellulite and wrinkles differs slightly from the units made for hair and skin. The basic technology is the same, but it also comes with a module to move internal tissue around.

Unlike liposuction, the system does not eliminate fat, Eckhouse clarified. Instead, it sort of melts it and shifts it around so that it won't be as noticeable.

Redistribution of the fat can reduce the diameter of thighs and other body parts, the company said. The procedure, which takes multiple doctor visits, is also far less invasive than liposuction and can iron out some wrinkles.

"With liposuction, you end up with very loose skin," Eckhouse said. "Yes, I got rid of five pounds of fat, but now my skin looks horrible. Vela is actually effective in post-liposuction treatment. Doctors are buying it to tighten the thighs."

Nonetheless, Syneron and others are looking at ways to eliminate fat noninvasively, possibly with ultrasound waves.

"The challenge is, OK, you dissolved a large amount of fat. How do you get rid of it?" Eckhouse said. "The fat will go into the bloodstream, which is not the dream of anybody. It's a very delicate issue. We are right now in the R&D stage."