Tissue Fusion and the CU Office of Technology Transfer recently completed a license agreement that will allow the company to continue developing a new surgical device that utilizes lasers, rather than staples and sutures, to close wounds during nasal surgery.
The two most common nasal surgeries are septoplasty, the repair of deviated or deformed septum, and rhinoplasty, commonly known as a nose job. Currently, wounds are closed during these surgeries using staples, sutures or intranasal packing, all of which can be dangerous and uncomfortable for the patient. After the procedure, techniques such as stapling or suturing can cause infection, scarring or other side effects.
Lasers have been used for decades in place of scalpels to cut tissues in procedures such as LASIK eye surgery. Lasers also have the ability to weld tissue together, but have not been widely used in this capacity due to the complexity of the laser and the exceptional surgical skill required to use them.
A team led by Michael Larson, El Pomar Endowed Chair of Engineering and Innovation,has developed a laser-based device for closing wounds during nasal surgery that circumvents these technical hurdles. The device generates heat and pressure to fuse tissue membranes together, but is designed specifically for use in septoplasty and rhinoplasty, using pre-set parameters to make the device easy to use by a surgeon or a trained medical technician. In addition to making the surgical procedure faster and simpler, the fusion device also has the potential to shorten healing time and reduce side effects such as swelling, scarring, and infection.
Tissue Fusion is currently gathering data on the efficacy and safety of the device in controlled trials. The company will use the results in seeking approval from the Food and Drug Administration for clinical use in procedures related to the ear, nose and throat. Ultimately, the company hopes to introduce additional surgery-specific devices. Further research by Larson’s team shows that the technology holds promise for spot welding layers of tissue in a range of surgeries, including microsurgical applications.
“We’re pleased to be working in partnership with the University of Colorado to commercialize a new medical technology that is already adding jobs to the Colorado economy,” said Larson, who also serves as the company’s CEO.
“The technology licensed to TissueFusion has been a great example of Colorado’s innovation infrastructure, since it represents years of development efforts at MIND Studios in Colorado Springs, as well as a state grant to bring it closer to commercial readiness,” Molly Markley of CU’s Technology Transfer Office said. “We are looking forward to following the company’s progress as it moves towards FDA approval.”
Tissue Fusion received a State of Colorado Early-Stage Company grant in 2013 under its Bioscience Discovery and Evaluation Grant program.
Tissue Fusion LLC, is a medical device startup in Colorado Springs, that is committed to creating a suite of wound closure instruments for improving surgical procedures and outcomes. The company is a spin-out from UCCS. Tissue Fusion is a recipient of an award from the State of Colorado’s Bioscience Discovery and Evaluation Grant Program, a program which is moving promising commercial technologies to market and supporting the development of the biotechnology industry in Colorado.
–Lindsay Lennox, CU Office of Technology Transfer
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