Photos: Foiling fat with military might

One of Syneron's hair removal machines. Rather than just market these systems, which range in price from $50,000 to $150,000, to dermatologists only, the company is also selling them to general practitioners. In some countries, the systems can be operated by non-physicians.

Left: Yehiel Tal, CEO of Regentis Biomaterials, shows off a petri dish of synthetic blood clots being engineered by the company. Made from polymers and human proteins, the blood clots can be inserted into badly broken bones or cartilage and stimulate the body to regenerate bone or cartilage. Currently, severe bone breaks require pins or screws while cartilage repair typically necessitates surgery.

Right: A close-up of the blood clots. Professor Dror Selectar at the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, came up with the technology. Regentis will try to commercialize it. Now that animal trials have succeeded, the company plans to move to human trials.