Description:
Market: Information collected by
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during 2006 showed that
cardiovascular disease (CVD) from all causes accounts for 29% of deaths
worldwide and ranks second only to infectious and parasitic diseases. In the
United States alone, atherosclerosis reportedly affects one in four persons,
causing approximately 42% of all deaths. With a market size of more than $15
billion, the market for novel atherosclerosis therapies has very lucrative
potential.
Competitors and Current
Problems: Atherosclerosis, a process underlying coronary artery
disease, myocardial infarction and cerebrovascular disease, is a leading cause
of morbidity and mortality in industrialized countries. Imaging techniques
currently available utilize invasive and non-invasive methods to characterize
coronary artery stenosis. The present invention provides a device that enhances
the technology of prior art to detect and diagnose atherosclerotic plaques.
The Technology:
A researcher at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
(UTHealth) has developed a device for use in characterizing biological
tissue such as vulnerable plaque and cancer tissue by determining tissue
stiffness and texture. This device utilizes a catheter with an expandable
element at the end equipped with pressure sensors to detect changes in tissue
stiffness, temperature and pH. Furthermore, the catheter can be used to
determine the width of any section of the body cavity. Data from all sensors and
width gauges are created by a software reconstruction program that generates
three-dimensional image maps of the tissue.
UTHealth Ref.
No.: 2002-0027
Inventors: Morteza
Naghavi
Patent Status: United States Patent No. 7,077,812
License
Available: world-wide; exclusive or non-exclusive