Sanovas receives U.S. patent allowance for microsurgical lung cancer technology

Jun 15 2012

Sanovas, Inc., a medical technology company focused on developing and commercializing next-generation micro-invasive diagnostics, devices and drug delivery technologies, today announced that it has received a Notice of Allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office for its first patent relating to systems and methods for the removal of unwanted biological material, such as tissue growths and tumors, in hard-to-reach bodily cavities. The allowance approved 40 claims in connection with technology that enables an entirely new system and method of airway and vessel intervention.

"Pulmonary disease is a global epidemic," said Sanovas CEO and co-founder Larry Gerrans.  "We are leading the efforts to combat the disease and are making a meaningful contribution to patient survival. Our platform is designed to become a ubiquitous set of next-generation tools that will enable others to launch therapy-enabling solutions of their own."   

The patent, written by Sanovas founders Erhan Gunday and Larry Gerrans, is one of more than 45 patents written by the pair and assigned to the company to protect its assets in pulmonary disease, natural orifice surgery and robotics.

The patent covers elements that are vital to the company's Vas Zeppelin™ Smart Catheter technology portfolio. The company's technologies are intended to access, image, measure and diagnose anatomy in small airways and vessels residing at, or below, 3 millimeters in diameter. Featuring the world's smallest surgical camera, the Vas Zeppelin™ facilitates the removal of obstructive pathology and enables the local delivery of drug and immune therapies to patients suffering from lung cancer and related pulmonary and vascular diseases.  

"The allowance of this patent significantly strengthens Sanovas' intellectual property portfolio in the U.S. and represents an important validation of our groundbreaking microsurgical technology platform," Gerrans said.  "In addition to expanding coverage of the Vas Zeppelin™ technology, which is protected by more than 45 U.S. and international patents pending, this is another step towards introducing the Vas Zeppelin for the treatment of one of the largest and fastest growing diseases in the world."