LipoSonix: Addition by Subtraction

Raising money in medical devices is rarely easy; in fact, just getting past the front door can sometimes be a challenge. But not for ultrasound company, LipoSonix. The reason: LipoSonix is working on an energy-based alternative to liposuction, whose concept is easy to understand and its appeal immediate to both physicians and patients. Replacing what is now an often messy, painful procedure, LipoSonix offers a quick, painless procedure that allows patients to get up, walk out of the physician's office, and head back to work. LipoSonix still has challenges ahead of it. Having spent much of its time thus far on safety and mechanism of action issues, the company must now prove not only that the technology can achieve the kind of body-sculpting effect it hopes for, but that the effect is long-lasting. Moreover, adoption issues loom large. LipoSonix will have to convince both physicians and patients that their alternative justifies abandoning what is now a widely-accepted procedure. But if they can, LipoSonix' promise could be huge: a better approach to cosmetic surgery in a world where you can never be too rich or too thin.