Pierre D. Mourad, PhD

• Research Associate Professor of

Neurosurgery, and of Pediatric

Dentistry (adjunct)

• Principle Physicist at the Applied

Physics Laboratory

• PhD in Applied

Mathematics/Atmospheric Sciences

how Jack and I got started

• I wanted some of his money for research on brain monitoring.

• He suggested we form a dental company instead

• the value of serendipity! connections matter! - then act fast!

old news: ‘ordinary’ power brushes

• power brushes move their bristles several hundred times per

second and clean primarily at the point of bristle contact, in a

manner vastly more efficient than manual brushes.

I felt we could do better

what is special about the Ultreo

note the transducer &waveguide

note the ultrasound coming out

we figured out how to put that ultrasound to good use

bubbles can clean

• bubbles in the presence of ultrasound get bigger and

smaller and bigger and smaller...

bubbles can clean

• bubbles near an surface - such as teeth - can get bigger

and smaller in a highly asymmetric way, applying

mechanical and therefore cleansing stress to that surface

QuickTime™ and aCinepak decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

bubbles can clean

• a bubble, in ultrasound, can

generate significant mechanical

stress on things that come near it,

whether or not that bubble

collapses violently.

what is special about the Ultreo

• the Ultreo’s bristles scrub on time scales similar to that of

other power toothbrushes - hundreds of times a second.

Thanks to the ultrasound-activated bubbles, the Ultreo also scrubs teeth several hundred thousand times a second, wherever the ultrasound and foamy dental slurry intersect, including where the bristles don’t reach.

ultrasound emittedfrom brush headinto dental foam

some of our earliest prototypes

a value of working within UW at the early stages:you don’t have to create an entire laboratoryand gather the experts - they already exist on campus!

we’ve come a long way

• a testimony to the initial vision, the initially applied resources and alacrity of

SAP/APL/Neurosurgery/Pediatric Dentistry/Periodontology/Public Health,

and the subsequent and considerable effort and expertise utilized at what

is now Ultreo, along with continuing efforts of UW among other institutions.

vs

‘first brushing story’

ultrasound from a stationary brush rapidly removes a ‘line’ of plaque.

• Artificial teeth with plaque dyed pink before (left) and after (right) application of

ultrasound from beyond the reach of the bristles. Discrete plaque colonies along a band

stretching from lower left to upper right were removed by the ultrasound, in a shape

corresponding to the shape of ultrasound emitted from the face of the stationary brush

head. no bristle contact!

plaque removal via combined sonic & ultrasound processes

• Artificial teeth with plaque dyed pink before (left) and after (right) treatment with a

sonically vibrating brush head that emitted ultrasound in the presence of sonically

produced bubbles, from 2-3 mm beyond the reach of the bristles. Discrete plaque

colonies were reduced or removed across the entire tooth surface after only 5

seconds of application of the prototype.no bristle contact!

Research Models & CapabilitiesLaboratory Clinical & Subjective

once one has raised enough money, one can match thebusiness & business-science needs with unique, non-UW resources

Dental Plaque Biofilm Removal

Oral-B Triumph

SonicareUltreo

•Hydroxyapatite disks (5mm dia., white) coated with Streptococcus mutans biofilm stained with disclosing solution (pink)

•Disk placed 2-4 mm from active cleaning surface (bristles / ultrasound waveguide) in dental slurry and exposed for 5 sec.

•Removal of biofilm after exposure compared to non-treatment control disks

Exposure without bristle contact:

Research Conducted by:

Frank Roberts, DDS, PhD

Pierre D. Mourad, PhD

University of Washington, Seattle WA

Ultrasound activated bubbles clean into areas bristles do not reach

Ultreo

Sonicare

Oral-B1 mm

Ultreo

1 mm

Dental Plaque Biofilm Removal

Longer Lasting Clean (in-vivo)

2 hrs after brushing it appears that Ultreo resulted in less plaque formation than brushing with sonic alone.

(2 treatments, n=5)Research Conducted by:

Baltuck C et al.

Ultreo Inc, Redmond, WA

Hypothesis

Typical Brushing Ultreo

Ultreo’s ultrasound – activated bubbles extend

cleaning deeper than typical brushing

Ultreo results in a more thorough clean

Use of Ultreo leaves a long-lasting feeling of clean

bristle

plaque

tooth

bristle

ultrasound activated bubbles

plaque

tooth

Immediately after brushing

Several hours later

lessonsfrom the field.

Evolution of my relationship to Ultreo

2004-2006

Optimize Parameters: what are the

optimal technology conditions?

2006-2007

External Testing: independent

confirmation of safety &

effectiveness

Internal Testing:

what are the primary benefits?

2005-2006

Concept Testing:

does the concept deliver a benefit?

2003-2004

University of Washington

WTC Grants

Univ. of Wash.

& Ultreo

NIH SBIR Phase I Grant

Ultreo, Inc.

NIH SBIR Phase II

Grant

Ultreo, Inc. & Universities

NIH SBIR Phase II

Grant

Pierre as critical player -> Pierre as an important pet.

time of appropriaterapid growth

time of inappropriatelyrapid growth

how is ultreo doing now?

first year, generated revenue at an annual rate of $10M!

but, it cost more than that to sell the brushes!! oh no!

strong CEO, with complicity of a weak Board, led the company

to market too fast, too optimistically. (there are lessons here!)

Board fired the CEO in Winter of 2008

Board - now alone - did additional damage to the company

(alienating the dental professionals - the key to the long-term

growth of any dental company).

VCs took over the company (cramming down extant investors)

VCs reconstituted the company, for possible sale of

technology or re-invigoration of the company - who knows.

cautionary tale

• you have to get everything right to succeed in business, especially a start up, where there is no room for failure.

• your biggest asset, your weakest link, is people, sometimes even the same people.

• balance of power is critical to success (technical vs business; CEO vs Board)

• enormous work at first -> your baby grows up and leaves the home, while still needing to grow up more: learn to let go!

thank you.