Biolase Technology Inc. (NSDQ:BLTI) stock is getting a big boost today, with shares climbing more than 16 percent to reach their best levels since June 2008 after the company received a U.S. patent for tools that make it easier to see structures inside the eye.

The new patent covers dye applications and colored lighting used to highlight parts of the eye during laser surgery, such as procedures to correct presbyopia — a condition common to people in middle age making it difficult to focus on nearby objects or text.

Certain colorings also allow for greater absorption of energy and let physicians to use lasers at lower settings to make cuts. The Feb. 23 patent is the company’s ninth ophthalmology-related patent as Biolase increasingly shifts beyond its traditional dental laser applications.