New Jersey ? Venom from Malayan pit vipers and “healing light” lasers are being used on stroke patients in New Jersey in studies to develop safe new treatments for the nation’s third-biggest killer.

Scientists hope the venom and lasers can lengthen the window of time – now just three hours – to treat people who have suffered an acute stroke.

Currently, fewer than 5 percent of stroke patients get to treatment in time.

A stroke occurs every 45 seconds in the United States.

But treatment options are few.

“Only one drug has been approved for acute stroke, and that’s tPA (tissue plasminogen activator),” says Dr. Kenneth A. Levin, medical director of The Valley Hospital’s Stroke Center in Ridgewood, N.J.

Conditions have to be just right for this clot buster to be used. It must be injected within three hours of the onset of symptoms – and only after a physician has confirmed the stroke is caused by a clot rather than bleeding in the brain.