Southfield's Sentio Gets Patent Approvals
SOUTHFIELD -- Sentio LLC this week announced that the United States Patent Office has approved two of its recent submissions.
These cover the core technology behind the company's family of products that protect nerves from injury during surgery.
The approval of the first patent, U.S. Patent No. 8,343,065 B2, "Neural Event Detection," covers the company's system for detecting and mapping nerves. The second approved patent, U.S. Patent No. 8,343,079 B2, "Neural Monitoring Sensor," covers the smart sensor technology which lies at the heart of the system.
According to Christopher Wybo, president of Sentio, the company is in the process of establishing an extensive intellectual property portfolio, with 10 more U.S. filings in process. These applications cover devices and systems that detect the location, orientation, or function of nerves.
"With these patents in place, Sentio will be well-positioned as the leader in this emerging field," Wybo said.
The company has also filed applications for intellectual property protection in key foreign markets.
Sentio CEO Stephen Bartol, M.D., said the company plans to initially apply its technology to two key medical markets: spine surgery and ear, nose and throat surgery. Bartol said the market potential for both applications is significant because Sentio's systems make it easier for surgeons to locate, map and protect nerves, even when visualization is not possible. This is especially important in fields where minimally invasive surgery is becoming more widely used.
"Our products fill a significant void in the surgical market, providing an efficient, cost-effective tool which makes surgery safer, faster and more reliable," Bartol said. "We plan to continue to expand the number of applications of our technology. These patents will allow us to protect our technology as we continue research and product development."
Headquartered in Southfield, Sentio is a privately held company founded in 2007 to develop new medical devices that utilize smart sensor technologies to improve safety and efficiency in surgery. Its first product, SentioMMG, is currently marketed for use in spine and orthopaedic surgery.
More at www.sentiommg.com.
