Patent Issued for Photo-Mediated Ultrasound Therapy

A U.S. patent has been issued to Yannis M. Paulus, M.D., Xueding Wang, Ph.D., and Xinmai Yang, Ph.D., for Photomediated Ultrasound Therapy, or PUT, a noninvasive method of removing the microvessels whose growth is associated with numerous eye diseases, including wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy.

PUT combines synchronized nanosecond laser pulses with bursts of ultrasound. It delivers laser pulses at more than 10 times lower intensity than conventional laser combined with synchronized ultrasound bursts, making it possible to target microvessels with much greater precision, while posing far less risk to surrounding tissue.

“The ability to deliver more targeted therapy is especially valuable in the treatment of diseases such as AMD, where the growth of new blood vessels tends to cluster around the fovea—the center of the macula,” explains Dr. Paulus. “Unlike conventional laser treatment, which can result in a blind spot in the patient’s center of vision, PUT can remove microvessels while preserving central vision.”

Header image caption: Yannis Paulus, MD