Laser cataract surgery system receives patent

Sunnyvale, CA-The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted OptiMedica Corp. a patent relating to the fundamental technology underlying laser cataract surgery.

The patent for OptiMedica’s Catalys Precision Laser System describes a 3-D image-based femtosecond laser system for performing anterior capsulotomy and lens fragmentation during the cataract procedure.

“We are gratified to see the USPTO recognize the novelty of our invention and its practical realization in OptiMedica’s Catalys Precision Laser System,” said Mark Blumenkranz, MD, professor and chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at Stanford University, OptiMedica board member, and one of the inventors of the technology. “Laser cataract surgery is an exciting new breakthrough in ophthalmology, and it has been an honor to be at the forefront of its advance.”

Daniel Palanker, PhD, of the Departments of Physics and Ophthalmology at Stanford University, is co-inventor of the system. It has been shown in numerous clinical studies to perform the laser cataract procedure with precision and accuracy. In addition, laser lens fragmentation with the system has been shown to reduce or eliminate the need for ultrasound energy to break up and remove the cataract.

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