Aspero Medical announces patent award for their micro-texturing PillarTM technology designed to improve outcomes of endoscopy procedures
Patent covers medical devices that improve anchoring consistency inside the body with textured inflatable balloons
Boulder, CO – Aspero Medical, a medical device startup company developing new products for the field of gastroenterology, announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued the company a patent that covers their PillarTM technology which improves medical device anchoring consistency inside of the body. The invention (US Patent No. 11,089,944) is a medical device balloon with textured surface that is designed to improve performance and outcomes of gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy procedures.
“This patent award is a significant milestone for our company,” said Mark Rentschler, co-founder and CEO of Aspero Medical. “Our mission at Aspero Medical is to enable complete procedures the first time by providing physicians tools to diagnose and treat more effectively, while reducing patient trauma. Our proprietary PillarTM technology, protected by this issued keystone patent, provides a competitive advantage as we bring products to market to accomplish this mission.”
The foundational intellectual property was developed at the University of Colorado. Marta Zgagacz, Director of Licensing for Venture Partners at the University of Colorado Boulder, commented,
“Aspero Medical continues to develop medical devices that meet crucial patient needs. This patent award is further affirmation of the novelty of their approach as they continue to expand their product and intellectual property portfolio.”
“Aspero Medical’s momentum continues to build for a significant commercial launch in the near term,” said Mike Freeman, Innosphere Ventures Fund general partner. “This patent award is a significant milestone for the company. We’re excited to see how their technology will improve the performance of small bowel enteroscopy and colonoscopy procedures, save time for practitioners and patients, and improve patient outcomes.”
Balloon endoscopy is the standard of care in the drive to diagnose and treat small bowel disease as it allows for visualization of the entire small intestine. However, current balloon endoscopy technology is technically challenging and time-consuming. The Aspero Medical balloon overtube solution with patented Pillar™ micro-textures is designed to maximize wall traction and anchoring consistency in the GI tract.
About Aspero Medical:
Aspero Medical’s Pillar TM micro-texture technology was developed at the University of Colorado to improve the performance and outcomes of GI endoscopy procedures. Aspero Medical was founded in 2018 by Mark Rentschler, PhD, PE, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder, and Steven Edmundowicz, MD, Professor and Medical Director of the Digestive Health Center at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center. The company received initial equity funding through the Innosphere Ventures Fund. www.asperomedical.com
About Innosphere Ventures and the Innosphere Ventures Fund:
Innosphere Ventures is a non-profit incubator that grows the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by supporting science and technology startups with a specialized commercialization program, a variety of incubation programs, and venture capital.
Innosphere Ventures Fund is a seed and series A venture capital fund leading investment rounds in B2B companies who are driving innovation in SaaS software, Cleantech and MedTech sectors. Through active management, a proprietary deal flow, and a proven process for supporting early exit returns for limited partners, Innosphere Ventures Fund is positioned to invest in the most promising founders and high-tech companies in the Mid-America Mountain Plains Region. www.innosphereventures.org
“Innosphere has taken significant strides to position our organization for even more economic impact by purposefully expanding throughout the Mid-America Mountain Plains Region and by laying the groundwork to launch a second venture capital fund,” said Mike Freeman, Innosphere Ventures CEO. “One of Innosphere’s focus areas is ensuring that we have accessible capital to fuel new ventures that can fuel the future economy.”