BTG to Commercialize Conductive Keratoplasty Patents; Company Aims to Realize Value from Minimally Invasive Refractive Surgery Technology.WEST CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. -- BTG BTG BIT (Built-In Test) Target Generator BTG Bridging the Gap BTG British Technology Group BtG Betreuungsgesetz (Germany) BTG Biomass Technology Group BV BTG Begbies Traynor Group (LSE LSE - Language Sensitive Editor : BGC BGC General Cable Corporation (stock symbol) BGC Billy Graham Center BGC Baptist General Conference (formerly Swedish Baptist Denomination) BGC Boys & Girls Club BGC Bubblegum Crisis ), the intellectual property and technology commercialization company, today announced its plan to commercialize fundamental patents around Conductive Keratoplasty (CK) technology. CK, developed by Dr. Richard Fugo of RJF Holdings III, is a corrective vision procedure that uses short controlled bursts of radio frequency to shrink the collagen around the eye and reshape the curvature of the cornea. The procedure treats those with far-sightedness (hyperopia hyperopia (hī'pərō`pēə): see farsightedness. ) or those suffering from the effects of aging (presbyopia Presbyopia Definition The term presbyopia means "old eye" and is a vision condition involving the loss of the eye's ability to focus on close objects. ). Since the introduction of CK into the US market in 2002, the procedure has been gaining in popularity - in its first 18 months in the US, CK procedures represented 14% of the refractive surgery market in its approved range. BTG is licensing the CK patents from RJF Holdings, which is currently in litigation An action brought in court to enforce a particular right. The act or process of bringing a lawsuit in and of itself; a judicial contest; any dispute. When a person begins a civil lawsuit, the person enters into a process called litigation. with Refractec, Inc. over alleged infringement of the CK patents.(1) BTG is actively seeking to realize the value of these patents. The CK procedure is currently employed to correct hyperopia and presbyopia (the inability to focus on objects at close range due to a loss in the elasticity of the human lens occurring in most people over age 45(2)). However, the technology can be developed in the future for all types of refractive surgery. New and emerging refractive surgery procedures such as CK are expected to provide superior alternatives to current procedures, expanding the corrective vision surgery market. "Conductive Keratoplasty is rapidly gaining acceptance in ophthalmic surgery, and we believe our client's patents are fundamental to the continual implementation of the procedure," said Dr. Marie Lindner, Vice President of BTG's Strategic Business Development group. "BTG has a strong history of generating revenue from intellectual property, and we will be actively commercializing this exciting technology." About BTG BTG is an intellectual property and technology commercialization company that operates internationally. BTG creates value by investing in intellectual property and technology development, and in early stage ventures. We realize value through technology licensing, patent assertion and sale of equity investments. Through a multidisciplinary approach, we apply intellectual property and commercial expertise, together with specialist skills in science and technology, to create major product opportunities in the health and high tech sectors. BTG has commercialized important innovations, including Magnetic Resonance Imaging magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), noninvasive diagnostic technique that uses nuclear magnetic resonance to produce cross-sectional images of organs and other internal body structures. , Multilevel Cell Memory, Campath(R) (alemtuzumab), the first monoclonal antibody treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukemia chronic lymphocytic leukemia n. Abbr. CLL Lymphocytic leukemia occurring mainly in older adults, characterized by slow onset and gradual progression of symptoms. , and recombinant Factor IX blood clotting protein. BTG operates through wholly owned subsidiaries BTG International Ltd. and BTG International Inc. in the UK and USA, respectively. About Dr. Richard Fugo Dr. Fugo is a renowned board certified ophthalmologist ophthalmologist /oph·thal·mol·o·gist/ (of?thal-mol´ah-jist) a physician who specializes in ophthalmology. oph·thal·mol·o·gist n. A physician who specializes in ophthalmology. practicing in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the Director of the Fugo Eye Center. He is also Chairman of Ophthalmology at Mercy Suburban Hospital in Norristown, PA, and is on the editorial board for the Annals of Ophthalmology. Dr. Fugo is an international invited lecturer and is a Visiting Professor at Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences & Research, Medical University, India. Dr. Fugo is a prolific inventor and in addition to his CK patents, is the inventor of the Fugo Blade, a revolutionary plasma blade that is FDA FDA abbr. Food and Drug Administration FDA, n.pr See Food and Drug Administration. FDA, n.pr the abbreviation for the Food and Drug Administration. approved for cataract surgery. (1) Ophthalmology Times, "Refractec's ViewPoint device focus of lawsuit" (2) WebMD, "Presbyopia" |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion