K933841 · Premier Laser Systems, Inc. · GEX · May 5, 1997 · General, Plastic Surgery
Device Facts
Record ID
K933841
Device Name
CENTAURI
Applicant
Premier Laser Systems, Inc.
Product Code
GEX · General, Plastic Surgery
Decision Date
May 5, 1997
Decision
SESE
Submission Type
Traditional
Regulation
21 CFR 878.4810
Device Class
Class 2
Attributes
Therapeutic
Indications for Use
The laser is indicated for Incision, Excision, Hemostasis, Ablation of Tissue, and Vaporization of Tissue in the oral cavity. The additional representative indications include Removal of Caries, Cavity Preparation, Modification or Etching of Eramel prior to acid etching, and Modification or Etching of Dentin prior to acid etching.
Device Story
Centauri Er:YAG Laser System uses erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser energy to ablate, excise, and vaporize oral hard and soft tissues. Operated by clinicians in dental settings, the device delivers pulsed laser energy to target sites, including enamel, dentin, and soft tissue. Water cooling is utilized to manage thermal effects and prevent pulpal damage. The system replaces or supplements traditional dental drills and acid etching procedures. By vaporizing organic material and modifying inorganic tooth structure, the laser prepares cavities and etches surfaces for restorative procedures. Clinical benefits include effective caries removal, precise cavity preparation, and surface modification without thermal damage or cracking, as verified by histological and SEM analysis. The device provides an alternative to mechanical drills, with safety profiles comparable to standard dental treatments.
Clinical Evidence
Clinical evidence includes a multi-site study of 125 randomized adult human teeth and histological/SEM analysis. Primary endpoints included caries removal efficacy, cavity preparation quality, and pulpal vitality. Results showed 100% complete caries removal and 100% adequate cavity preparation/restoration at 3 months. Histological (H&E) and SEM studies demonstrated no deleterious effects on pulpal healing or surface morphology compared to control (drill) treatments. Pulp vitality measurements showed no significant difference between laser and drill treatments pre- and post-surgery over 1.5 years.
Technological Characteristics
Er:YAG laser system; wavelength-based ablation; water-cooled delivery system to mitigate thermal damage. Operates at pulse energies ranging from 20 mJ to 430 mJ. Designed for dental hard and soft tissue applications. Connectivity and software details not specified.
Indications for Use
Indicated for incision, excision, hemostasis, ablation, and vaporization of oral cavity tissue; removal of caries; cavity preparation; and modification/etching of enamel and dentin. Contraindicated for children under 18 years of age.
Regulatory Classification
Identification
(1) A carbon dioxide laser for use in general surgery and in dermatology is a laser device intended to cut, destroy, or remove tissue by light energy emitted by carbon dioxide.(2) An argon laser for use in dermatology is a laser device intended to destroy or coagulate tissue by light energy emitted by argon.
Reference Devices
Zach and Cohen (1965) study on pulpal heat response
Powell et al. study on CO2 laser safety
Hibst and Keller (1989, 1990, 1992) studies on Er:YAG ablation and thermal effects
Paghdiwala (1988, 1993) studies on Er:YAG hard tissue application
Walsh et al. (1989) study on Er:YAG ablation
Arcoria (1994) study on hard tissue effects
Kumazaki (1992) study on Er:YAG etching
Submission Summary (Full Text)
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
Public Health Service
Food and Drug Administration
9200 Corporate Boulevard
Rockville MD 20850
Colette Cozean, Ph.D. MAY 5 1997
President, CEO
Premier Laser Systems, Inc.
3 Morgan
Irvine, California 92618
Re: K932683 and K933841
Trade Name: Centauri Er:YAG Laser System
Regulatory Class: II
Product Code: GEX
Dated: April 28, 1997
Received: April 30, 1997
Dear Dr. Cozean:
We have reviewed your Section 510(k) notifications of intent to market the device referenced above and we have determined the device is substantially equivalent (for the indications for use stated in the enclosure) to devices marketed in interstate commerce prior to May 28, 1976, the enactment date of the Medical Device Amendments, or to devices that have been reclassified in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (Act). You may, therefore, market the device, subject to the general controls provisions of the Act. The general controls provisions of the Act include requirements for annual registration, listing of devices, good manufacturing practice, labeling, and prohibitions against misbranding and adulteration.
If your device is classified (see above) into either class II (Special Controls) or class III (Premarket Approval), it may be subject to such additional controls. Existing major regulations affecting your device can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21, Parts 800 to 895. A substantially equivalent determination assumes compliance with the Good Manufacturing Practice for Medical Devices: General (GMP) regulation (21 CFR Part 20) and that, through periodic
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Page 2 - Colette Cozean, Ph.D.
GMP inspections, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will verify such assumptions. Failure to comply with the GMP regulation may result in regulatory action. In addition, FDA may publish further announcements concerning your device in the *Federal Register*. Please note: this response to your premarket notification submissions does not affect any obligation you might have under sections 531 through 542 of the Act for devices under the Electronic Product Radiation Control provisions, or other Federal laws or regulations.
This letter will allow you to begin marketing your device as described in your 510(k) premarket notifications. The FDA finding of substantial equivalence of your device to a legally marketed predicate device results in a classification for your device and thus, permits your device to proceed to the market.
If you desire specific advice for your device on our labeling regulation (21 CFR Part 801 and additionally 809.10 for *in vitro* diagnostic devices), please contact the Office of Compliance at (301) 594-4595. Additionally, for questions on the promotion and advertising of your device, please contact the Office of Compliance at (301) 594-4639. Also, please note the regulation entitled, "Misbranding by reference to premarket notification" (21 CFR 807.97). Other general information on your responsibilities under the Act may be obtained from the Division of Small Manufacturers Assistance at its toll-free number (800) 638-2041 or (301) 443-6597 or at its internet address "http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/dsmamain.html".
Sincerely yours,

Celia M. Witten, Ph.D., M.D.
Director
Division of General and
Restorative Devices
Office of Device Evaluation
Center for Devices and
Radiological Health
Enclosure
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Page 1 of 1
51C(k) Number (if known) K932683 & K933841
Device Name: Centauri Er:YAG Laser System
Indications For Use:
The laser is indicated for Incision, Excision, Hemostasis, Ablation of Tissue, and Vaporization of Tissue in the oral cavity. The additional representative indications include Removal of Caries, Cavity Preparation, Modification or Etching of Eramel prior to acid etching, and Modification or Etching of Dentin prior to acid etching.
The contraindications are for children under the age of 18 years.
(PLEASE DO NOT WRITE BELOW THIS LINE-CONTINUE ON ANOTHER PAGE IF NEEDED)
Concurrence of CDRH, Office of Device Evaluation (ODE)

Presentation Use ☑
(Per 31 CFR 801.109)
OR
Over-The-Counter Use ☐
(Optional Format 1-2-96)
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k933841 MAY - 7 1997
# SUMMARY OF SAFETY AND EFFICACY
## A. Temperature
In a benchmark publication on temperatures which cause pulpal damage, Zach and Cohen showed that 15 % of teeth in dogs where pulpal temperature was raised to 10°F (5.5°C) had irreversible damage. These findings have been substantiated by Powell, et. Al. Therefore, if the pulpal temperature rises on only 5.5°C, one may conclude that there is no permanent damage to the pulp of the tooth due to the laser treatment.
TABLE 1 - Pulp Temperatures
| Energy Output | Repetition Rate | Time with H2O Cooling | Temperature in °C |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 20 mJ | 10 Hz | 2 sec | .08° |
| 50 mJ | 10 Hz | 2 sec | 1.07° |
| 100 mJ | 10 Hz | 2 sec | .84° |
| 150 mJ | 10 Hz | 2 sec | 1.12° |
| 200 mJ | 10 Hz | 2 sec | 2.3° |
| Drill in Air | not applicable | 10 sec | .25° |
| Drill in H2O | not applicable | 10 sec | .05° |
## B. Pulp Vitality (all blinded):
1. H&E histological evidence over pulpal healing time demonstrates no deleterious effect for laser or control treatment.
2. Pulp vitality measurements over 1½ year follow-up demonstrate no compromise in pulp vitality.
3. Pulp vitality measurements on two teeth in each of 33 patients treated by laser and drill from the same patient show no difference in pulpal vitality pre-surgery, post-surgery and over three months.
4. Pulp vitality measurements on 125 randomly treated adult teeth treated by laser and drill show no significant difference between the laser and the control in pulp vitality measurements pre-surgery and after a three month period.
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## C. Surface Morphology (all blinded):
1. Animal and human studies using SEM demonstrated no changes in surface morphology except at the treatment site.
2. Animal and human studies using SEM illustrated that the drill and laser show equivalent surface changes at the treatment site.
## D. Structural Morphology
1. The ideal etched tooth presents a roughened dentin or enamel surface and no evidence of cracking, fissuring or charring. The dentin demonstrates open dentinal tubules. Organic material has been vaporized leaving the inorganic components of the tooth - leaving greater tooth surface area. In addition, a cavity preparation should show no remaining evidence of caries and a crater created by removal of tooth structure below the margin of the preparation.
2. Hibst and Keller reported on the effective removal of tooth structure with ultrastructural changes in enamel and dentin. There were no fissures or cracks. The surface was scaled and roughened without signs of thermal damage. Laser dosimetries ranged from 50 - 350 mJ.
3. Paghdiwala showed at 430 mJ, hydroxyapatite has vaporized, developing pores and surrounded by elevated fused inorganic tissue. No visible cracks radiated from the craters.
## E. Adjacent Structures
1. Adjacent structures to the treated tooth surface include soft tissue, proximal teeth and underlying bone. The damage due to inadvertent lasing of adjacent structures is usually less than the drill, since the laser does not cut effectively when defocused.
## F. Efficacy
1. Investigators rate caries removal more effective than the drill.
2. Investigators rate cavity preparation with the laser equal to the drill.
3. Investigators rate laser etching much more effective than acid etching.
4. Animal and human studies demonstrate that the Er:YAG laser is equivalent to standard treatment.
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5. In a multi-site study of 125 randomized human adult teeth, all classes of caries (I-V) were completely removed in 100% of the teeth treated.
6. In a multi-site study of 125 randomized human adult teeth all cavity preparation and restoration was still adequate after 3 months in 100% of treated teeth.
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# BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Walsh, J.T.; Flotte, T.J.; Deutch, T.F. 1989. Er:YAG laser ablation of tissue: Effect of pulse duration and tissue type on thermal damage. Lasers in Surg and Med. 9:314-326.
2. Hibst, R., and Keller, U. 1989. Experimental studies of the application of the Er:YAG laser on dental hard substances: I. Measurement of the ablation rate. II. Light microscopic and SEM investigations. Lasers in Surg and Med. 9:38.
3. Hibst, R., and Keller, U. 1990. Heat effect of pulsed Er:YAG laser radiation. SPIE Vol 1200 II. 379-386.
4. Hibst, R., and Keller, U. 1992. Erbium:YAG laser in caries therapy: Indication and first clinical results. ICOLD.
5. Zach, Leo, and Cohen, Gerson. 1965. Pulp response to externally applied heat. O.S., O.M., and O.D. 19(4):515-530.
6. Powell, G.L.; Whisenant, B.K.; Morton, T.H. 1990. Carbon dioxide laser oral safety parameters for teeth. Lasers in Surgery and Medicine 13:548-552.
7. Arcoria, Charles J. 1994. Hard tissue effects using multiple wavelength lasers. ICOLD.
8. Paghdiwala, Abid F. 1988. Application of the Erbium:YAG laser in hard dental tissues: Measurement of the temperatures and depths of cut. ICALEO. 64:192-201.
9. Paghdiwala, Abid F. 1993. Root resection of endodontically treated teeth by Erbium:YAG laser radiation. J of Endodontics. 19(2):91-94.
11. Kumazaki, M. 1992. Results of etching with the Er:YAG laser. ISLD. 141-142.
Two short videos show you everything — or skip straight to the written tutorial if you'd rather read. You can reopen this any time from the Tutorial button in the top bar.
Part 1 — Search, results, and everyday workflows 16 min
Part 2 — Embeddings: the galaxy map 3 min
1. Search: exact and fuzzy
Type a phrase like "coronary artery calcification" into the search box. You get two kinds of results. Exact results match the literal phrase — prefix searches work ("coronary artery calcificati") but suffix searches do not. Fuzzy results match on the meaning and intent of your phrase rather than the exact words, and are sorted by relevance score. Hover over the Exact or Fuzzy badge on any row to see exactly why it matched.
Use the checkboxes above the results to narrow: SaMD keeps only software-only devices, AI / ML keeps only devices with AI.
Exact vs. fuzzy search: what's the difference?
Exact matches on the literal phrase (prefix search works, suffix does not). Fuzzy matches on the meaning and intent of the phrase rather than the exact words. Hover over the badge on any row to see why it matched.
You search "coronary artery calcification" and want only software devices with AI. What two filters do you apply?
Narrow by SaMD (software-only devices), then narrow by AI/ML (devices with AI).
2. The results table
Scroll right in the results table. The intended use is extracted for you — no need to open the PDF. The device story gives a high-level snapshot of what the device does and how it's used. The AI Performance sub-table shows each output name, acceptance criteria, observed values, and development/test dataset descriptions — the same format Innolitics uses for regulatory strategy outputs, and the fastest high-level fingerprint of an AI device. It is AI-generated but has been very reliable in practice.
Where do you find a device's intended use without opening the PDF?
Scroll right in the search results table. The intended use column is extracted for you; no need to dig into the 510(k) summary PDF.
What does the AI Performance sub-table show, and why is it useful?
Output name, acceptance criteria, observed values, development dataset description, and test dataset description. It's the same format we use for regulatory strategy output and Fast 510(k) input, and the fastest high-level fingerprint of an AI device. AI-generated but reliable in practice.
3. Judging fuzzy relevance
Fuzzy results trail off in relevance as you scroll. Use three signals to decide how far down to go: the fuzzy badge explanations, the intended use column, and whether your target output (e.g., Cobb angle) still appears in the AI Performance sub-table. Once it stops appearing, you're past the relevant zone. A top hit with a low score (~0.4) and a stretched explanation is a hint the closest predicates are far away — the project may be headed for De Novo. Note the fuzzy search is a pattern match: it doesn't handle negation ("not") well, and hardware devices can appear — filter by SaMD/AI ML to cut them.
How do you judge how far down fuzzy search results to go?
Use the relevancy signals: the fuzzy badge explanations, the intended use column, and whether the target output (e.g., Cobb angle) still appears in the AI Performance sub-table. Once it stops appearing, results are trailing off in relevancy.
4. Device detail page: chat and citations
Click a device name to open its detail page: device facts on the left, a chat window on the right. Ask something like "Describe the training data". The answer carries little citation bubbles — click one to jump to the highlighted passage in the source PDF, so you can verify every AI answer against the document. There's also a Download PDF button for sharing.
How do you verify an AI chat answer on the device detail page?
Click the citation bubbles to jump to the relevant highlight in the source document.
Reading rule for every project: how many summaries do you read in full?
At least the three most relevant 510(k) or De Novo summaries, in full. After that, use targeted chat questions to confirm your memory quickly. The tool supports this professional habit — it doesn't replace it.
5. Side-by-side comparison
Select multiple rows in the results table (aim for under ~10), then open the PDF Viewer tab. Ask one question — it goes to all selected devices in parallel, each with citations. This is the fastest way to compare and contrast devices: training data, PCCP scope, how they handled adding new scanners, and so on.
What does the side-by-side PDF viewer mode do?
Select multiple devices, open the PDF viewer tab, and ask one question (e.g., "Describe the training data"). It queries all selected devices simultaneously with citations, so you can compare and contrast quickly.
6. Collections
With rows selected, go to the Collections tab and create a labeled collection (e.g., "Cobb Angle Project"). Reload that selection any time — before a client call, pull up the collection and ask questions across all of its devices at once.
How do you save a set of selected devices for later use?
Select the rows, go to the Collections tab, and create a labeled collection (e.g., "Cobb Angle Project"). You can reload the selection anytime and carry it into the PDF viewer and other tabs that support selections.
7. Product codes and the regulations tree
Click a product code in the results to jump to it in the regulations tree — identification text, sibling product codes, and devices you can open in a PDF viewer on the right. Click a regulation number to see its identification, special controls, and related product codes. You can also search by product code or regulation number at the top of the tree. Always read the special controls if any exist for your device — it broadens your search and sharpens pre-kickoff research.
What can you do from the regulations tree view?
Browse product codes and regulation numbers, read the identification text and special controls, browse sibling product codes, open device PDFs on the right, and search by product code or regulation number at the top of the tree.
8. Chart view
Click Show Chart and segment by regulation number (or product code) to see which regulations dominate your result set. Clicking a regulation takes you into the regulations tree. Great for spotting that most matches are, say, hardware laparoscopic devices — a cue to go back and filter.
How do you see which regulations dominate a search result set?
Click "Show Chart" and segment by Regulation Number. Clicking a regulation takes you to the regulations tree.
9. The predicate graph
Open the Predicates tab for a family-tree view of predicate relationships. Click a node to trace its parents and children; selections from search carry over pre-selected. Commonly predicated devices are worth reading — a lot of people predicated them for a reason. The visual lineage is also handy on client calls, e.g. to show how a predicate family evolved and justify why your predicate still holds.
In the predicate graph, why are commonly predicated devices worth reading?
A lot of people predicated them for a reason. Clicking a node traces parents and children, and selections from search carry over pre-selected.
10. Embeddings: the galaxy map
The Embeddings tab plots every matching document in a 2-D "galaxy map" where semantically similar devices cluster together. Hover or click clusters to explore, and let AI label the clusters for you. Embeddings beat product codes for grouping: two devices can carry different product codes (LLZ vs. QIH) yet do the same thing — the embedding captures the meaning of the intended use and device story. This is also exactly how retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) works under the hood, and it makes a great visual on client calls.
Try it yourself
Head to the search page and work through a few of these AI/ML fuzzy searches to build intuition: perivascular fat on CT · aortic valve calcification opportunistic screening on noncontrast CT · breast cancer prediction on digital pathology slides · autism detection · gestational age prediction · a hearing aid that can also detect a pulse · foundation model based analysis of ECG · large language models · penetration test. Watch how the relevance scores, intended use, and AI Performance tables tell you when results stop being meaningful.