SpectraScience, Inc. has expanded its licensing agreement with Duke University to include an additional patent, which bolsters the company’s portfolio of intellectual property around systems and methods for the use of angle-resolved low coherence interferometry in the diagnosis of certain cancers.
Angle-resolved low coherence interferometry is a biomedical imaging technology that uses the properties of scattered light to measure the average size of cell structures.
SpectraScience, based in San Diego, designs, develops, manufactures and markets spectrophotometry systems capable of determining whether tissue is normal, pre-cancerous or cancerous without physically removing tissue from the body. It holds more than 30 patents in 28 countries.
Its patent portfolio in the field of optical methods for cancer and cancer precursor discovery includes:
- 13 patents related to optical biopsy forceps, scanning arrays and confocal optics
- 16 patents covering spectral analysis applications, obstructions, image normalization and calibration
- 4 imaging patents covering temporal alignment and focus
“The patent we have added to our license with Duke University will help us ensure freedom to operate within indications of interest,” Michael Oliver, president and CEO of SpectraScience, said in a press statement. “With the potential to develop a product for light-based diagnosis of Barrett’s Esophagus, a precursor to esophageal cancer, we will continue to broaden our product offerings.”