Premier Laser Systems Inc.: The Irvine manufacturer...

Premier Laser Systems Inc.: The Irvine manufacturer of medical and dental lasers said it lost $713,255, or 8 cents a share, for its fiscal 1998 first quarter ended June 30. That compares with a net loss of $697,060, or 15 cents a share, a year earlier. Sales jumped 62% to $2.1 million from $1.3 million. Among the company’s products is the Centauri hard-tissue dental laser system, which received FDA approval in May for nearly painless preparation for cavity treatment. The company’s backlog of orders on June 30 stood at $3.4 million, of which $2.6 million was for Centauri systems.