The UltraShape company, which conducts most of its research in Israel, said it is hoping to destroy fat cells using sound waves guided by non-invasive ultrasonic technology. 

So far experimentation has been carried out on pigs in southern Israel whose high fat content makes them ideal for testing. But clinical trials are expected to begin within six months in the hope of getting approval from the U.S Food and Drug Administration by 2004. UltraShape said its fat-zapping technique effectively destroys the targeted areas without harming surrounding muscles, tissues or cells. 

"'Our tests show that we can not only destroy fat cells selectively without any damage to other areas but also that blood cholesterol and triglycerides did not change. If it did, it could damage the liver,"' said Yoram Eshel, one of the company's founders. He said the ultrasonic waves destroy cell membranes, causing the cells within to permanently disintegrate. "'We are the only device that is totally non-invasive. This is a breakthrough in plastic surgery,"' Eshel said. 

At the moment invasive surgery such as liposuction during which a vacuum-like machine sucks fatðout of the body, is the only surgical process to remove fat. UltraShape is at pains to stress risks and inconvenience of liposuction, despite new research that shows the procedure may have health benefits, including improving cholesterol levels and helping to relieve complications of breast cancer surgery. A study published last year by the American Society for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (ASPRS) warned possible irregularity in skin surface, numbness and pigmentation after operating means patients do not always emerge looking better. 

Despite the potential drawbacks, liposuction remains the most popular cosmetic surgery in the United States, surpassing eyelid surgery and breastðenlargement. Nearly 300,000 Americans last year underwent what has been dubbed the "'lunch-hour"' treatment. 

UltraShape estimates that treatment carried out without anesthetic will be competitively priced with liposuction. But it says unlike liposuction, its technique is capable of effectively tackling small areas of fat and problem areas.