SpineGuard (Paris:ALSGD) (FR0011464452 – ALSGD), an innovative company that deploys its DSG® real time digital technology for surgical guidance intended to secure and streamline skeletal implant placement, announced today the grant of a patent for the mapping of bony structures by ultrasound, in France and Japan.
The patent discloses a novel manner to use ultrasound in order to map bony structures, in particular the spine, through soft tissues. In association with systems such as robots, navigation platforms or PediGuard® devices, the technology has the potential to reduce the need for X-Ray for percutaneous guidance of instruments and implants.. After a grant in France, this patent was granted in Japan the 3rd largest spinal device market globally and an important market with manufacturers of ultrasound imaging platforms. Patent application has been submitted in the USA where it is currently under review by the US Patent Office.
Stéphane Bette, CEO and co-founder of SpineGuard says: “This key patent grant in Japan is a major step for SpineGuard in its mission to secure and streamline the guidance of skeletal implants. Current guidance platforms require patients to undergo one or several CT scans, equivalent to several hundred X-Ray exposures with the potential for harmful effect. That is a major area for improvement for these platforms and our patent has the potential to decrease that risk while enhancing overall accuracy.”
Maurice Bourlion, main inventor of the patent, co-inventor of the DSG® technology and Director of SpineGuard adds: “Multiple studies over time have demonstrated that the DSG technology secures and streamlines the placement of implants in bone. These studies have also shown that beyond the accuracy it offers, DSG allows for a drastic decrease of X-Ray imaging in particular for pedicle screw placement in the spine. Unfortunately during minimally invasive surgeries, X-Ray images are still of major importance for the determination of the entry point to the vertebral pedicle. This patent, fruit of the close collaboration with reputable physicians, is a key piece in our broader vision for strategic innovation that aims at providing a complete platform for implant positioning in bone. This platform encompassing imaging, navigation and “smart” implant solutions will allow next generation robotic platforms to position implants safely in an autonomous manner.”
Thirteen patent families form a solid portfolio of intellectual property
Ever since its inception, SpineGuard has developed and maintained a significant portfolio of 13 patent families comprised of 60 individual patents in key geographies worldwide. Thanks to a tight collaboration with world-renown scientists and surgeons, these patents cover neurophysiology, electrical conductivity monitoring during drillings in bone (DSG®), “smart” implants, bone quality measurement, ultrasound mapping of bone and DSG integration in robotics. All these patents are aligned with our mission of securing implant placement in bone and carry a strong strategic value.
Next financial press release: 2018 annual results on March 14, 2019.
About SpineGuard®
Founded in 2009 in France and the USA by Pierre Jérôme and Stéphane Bette, SpineGuard is an innovative company deploying its proprietary real-time digital technology DSG® (Dynamic Surgical Guidance) to secure and streamline the placement of implants in the skeleton. SpineGuard designs, develops and markets medical devices that have been used in over 70,000 surgical procedures worldwide. Fourteen studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals have demonstrated the multiple benefits DSG® offers to patients, surgeons, surgical staff and hospitals. Building on these solid fundamentals and several strategic partnerships, SpineGuard has expanded its technology platform in a disruptive innovation: the « smart » pedicle screw launched late 2017 and is broadening the scope of applications in dental implantology and surgical robotics. DSG® was co-invented by Maurice Bourlion, Ph.D., Ciaran Bolger, M.D., Ph.D., and Alain Vanquaethem, Biomedical Engineer.
For further information, visit www.spineguard.com
Disclaimer
The SpineGuard securities may not be offered or sold in the United States as they have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act or any United States state securities laws, and SpineGuard does not intend to make a public offer of its securities in the United States. This is an announcement and not a prospectus, and the information contained herein does and shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of the securities referred to herein in the United States in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or exemption from registration.