SpineGuard Granted Patent for Spinal Ultrasound Mapping Technology

March 07, 2019

PARIS and SAN FRANCISCO – SpineGuard (FR0011464452 – ALSGD), an innovative company that deploys its DSG real time digital technology for surgical guidance intended to secure and streamline skeletal implant placement, announced today the grant of a patent for the mapping of bony structures by ultrasound, in France and Japan.

The patent discloses a novel manner to use ultrasound in order to map bony structures, in particular the spine, through soft tissues. In association with systems such as robots, navigation platforms or PediGuard® devices, the technology has the potential to reduce the need for X-Ray for percutaneous guidance of instruments and implants.. After a grant in France, this patent was granted in Japan the 3rd largest spinal device market globally and an important market with manufacturers of ultrasound imaging platforms. Patent application has been submitted in the USA where it is currently under review by the US Patent Office.

Stéphane Bette, CEO and co-founder of SpineGuard says: “This key patent grant in Japan is a major step for SpineGuard in its mission to secure and streamline the guidance of skeletal implants. Current guidance platforms require patients to undergo one or several CT scans, equivalent to several hundred X-Ray exposures with the potential for harmful effect. That is a major area for improvement for these platforms and our patent has the potential to decrease that risk while enhancing overall accuracy.”

Maurice Bourlion, main inventor of the patent, co-inventor of the DSG® technology and Director of SpineGuard adds: “Multiple studies over time have demonstrated that the DSG technology secures and streamlines the placement of implants in bone. These studies have also shown that beyond the accuracy it offers, DSG allows for a drastic decrease of X-Ray imaging in particular for pedicle screw placement in the spine. Unfortunately during minimally invasive surgeries, X-Ray images are still of major importance for the determination of the entry point to the vertebral pedicle. This patent, fruit of the close collaboration with reputable physicians, is a key piece in our broader vision for strategic innovation that aims at providing a complete platform for implant positioning in bone. This platform encompassing imaging, navigation and “smart” implant solutions will allow next generation robotic platforms to position implants safely in an autonomous manner.”

Ever since its inception, SpineGuard has developed and maintained a significant portfolio of 13 patent families comprised of 60 individual patents in key geographies worldwide. Thanks to a tight collaboration with world-renown scientists and surgeons, these patents cover neurophysiology, electrical conductivity monitoring during drillings in bone (DSG®), “smart” implants, bone quality measurement, ultrasound mapping of bone and DSG integration in robotics. All these patents are aligned with our mission of securing implant placement in bone and carry a strong strategic value.