Cleveland Clinic Awarded Four New Patents for New Medical Devices

Cleveland Clinic recently received four U.S. patents for innovations in ophthalmology, cardiology and for developing a support pad for surgical patients.

The first patent (United States Patent No. 7,172,874) was received for a new method of screening and diagnosing age-related macular degeneration, the most common cause of blindness in individuals 65 and older. The new technique helps determine if a patient has or is at risk for developing age-related macular degeneration.

The diagnostic method was developed by Joe G. Hollyfield, Ph.D., in collaboration with John W. Crabb, Ph.D., and Xiaorong Gu at Cleveland Clinic, and Robert G. Salomon, Ph.D., a researcher at Case Western Reserve University.

A second patent (United States Patent No. 7,169,106) was issued for a new device capable of measuring intraocular pressure (IOP), or the fluid pressure inside the eye, using a miniature sensor that is mounted on a contact lens. The device can be used to monitor intraocular pressure in patients who have undergone surgery for glaucoma. The device was developed by researchers Aaron Fleischman, Ph.D., and Shuvo Roy, Ph.D., in collaboration with Hilel Lewis, M.D., Chairman of Cleveland Clinic's Cole Eye Institute.

The third patent (United States Patent No. 7,175,597) was issued for a new non-invasive ultrasound device that provides cardiologists with images of blood vessels, allowing them to assess the vessels' omposition and plaque contents. Geoffrey Vince, M.D., and Anuja Nair, Ph.D., of Cleveland Clinic developed the device in collaboration with Jon D. Klingensmith, Ph.D. of Duke University.