First U.S. Patents Issued to ENDRA for Non-Invasive Fat Assessment, Backed by Strong Pipeline of Thermoacoustic Intellectual Property
ANN ARBOR, MI / ACCESSWIRE / February 15, 2018 / ENDRA Life Sciences Inc. ("ENDRA" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: NDRA), a developer of enhanced ultrasound technologies, has been awarded U.S. Patent Number 9,888,879 and U.S. Patent Number 9,888,880 from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for non-invasive fat assessment by methods and systems that it expects to deploy in its Thermo-Acoustic Enhanced Ultrasound (TAEUS™) clinical products.
The two newly issued patents cover a system and method for calculating fat concentration in the human body with both single and multiple thermoacoustic measurements. The patents support ENDRA's proprietary approach to assessing fat content in tissue and support the Company's commercialization of a clinical application for non-invasive assessment of liver fat. The methods utilize ultrasound imaging to target a volume of tissue and then obtain thermoacoustic measurements of tissue composition.
The development and protection of intellectual property ("IP") in thermoacoustic clinical applications is a key area of focus for ENDRA. To further that goal, the Company currently has two patent agents embedded within the applied science team, working to define and secure IP to support ENDRA's innovations. As of today, ENDRA's IP portfolio totals 38 patents and patent applications that are in preparation, filed, issued or licensed, encompassing a range of device and method-focused IP in targeted global markets.
"ENDRA's two recently-issued patents directly support our plans to commercialize a transformative clinical application in the second half of 2018 focused on Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease," explained ENDRA's Chief Technology Officer, Michael Thornton. "It is estimated that NAFLD affects over a billion people globally. NAFLD can progress to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), fibrosis, cirrhosis, and potentially cancer, and it is largely driven by obesity, diabetes and hepatitis. Our technology is designed to assess NAFLD in its earliest stages when it is reversible."
"Exacerbating this global epidemic is the fact that only two accurate diagnostic tools exist for NAFLD: expensive MRI and invasive surgical biopsy, both of which are highly impractical for diagnosis and surveillance," said ENDRA's Chief Executive Officer, Francois Michelon. "ENDRA's technology will assess fat in the liver using conventional ultrasound, which is broadly available, cost-effective and non-invasive. Our goal is for ENDRA's point-of-care technology to become as ubiquitous as a blood pressure cuff - but focused on liver disease."
U.S. Patent Number 9,888,879 Abstract
A method and system for estimating fractional fat content of an object of interest. An energy emitter is used to direct an energy signal with an energy signal electric field strength toward the region of interest, wherein the region of interest has an object of interest, a reference, and a boundary between the object of interest and the reference. Next, a thermoacoustic or ultrasonic transducer is used to receive a thermoacoustic bipolar signal from the boundary, wherein the thermoacoustic bipolar signal is induced by the energy signal. Finally, a machine is used to accept data from the energy emitter and thermoacoustic bipolar signal to an electric field strength of the reference at the boundary to generate a corrected thermoacoustic bipolar signal at the boundary, and calculate a fat concentration of the object of interest as a function of the corrected thermoacoustic bipolar signal at the boundary.
U.S. Patent Number 9,888,880 Abstract
A method and system for estimating fractional fat content of an object of interest. An energy emitter is used to direct an energy signal with an energy signal electric field strength toward the region of interest, wherein the region of interest has an object of interest, a reference, and a boundary area with one or more boundary locations between the object of interest and the reference. Next, a plurality of thermoacoustic or ultrasonic transducers is used to receive a thermoacoustic bipolar signals from the one or more boundary locations, wherein the thermoacoustic bipolar signals are induced by the energy signal. A machine configured to accept data from the energy emitter and the plurality of thermoacoustic or ultrasonic transducers and calculate a fat concentration this is a function of the thermoacoustic bipolar signal at each respective boundary location and the distance or distances between locations.
About ENDRA Life Sciences Inc.
ENDRA Life Sciences Inc. ("ENDRA") (NASDAQ: NDRA) is a developer of enhanced ultrasound technologies. ENDRA's Photo-Acoustic Nexus-128 system is currently used by leading global medical researchers to screen and modify disease models with high image quality and volume scanning speed. ENDRA is developing a next generation Thermo-Acoustic Enhanced UltraSound (TAEUS™) system to enable clinicians to visualize human tissue composition, function and temperature in ways previously possible only with CT & MRI - at a fraction of the cost, and at the point-of-care. ENDRA's first TAEUS application will focus on the quantification of fat in the liver, for early detection and monitoring of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, which affects over 1 billion people globally, representing an estimated $13 billion global ultrasound market opportunity. ENDRA's goal is to bring new capabilities to ultrasound - thereby broadening access to better healthcare. For more information, please visit www.endrainc.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
All statements in this release that are not based on historical fact are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as "believe," "expect," "may," "will," "should," "could," "seek," "intend," "plan," "goal," "estimate," "anticipate," or other comparable terms. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements we make regarding the adequacy of protections afforded to us by the patents that we own and the success we may have in, and the cost to us of, maintaining, enforcing and defending those patents; expectations concerning ENDRA's ability to secure regulatory approvals; anticipated product pricing; expectations with respect to current and future partnerships; estimates of the timing of future events and achievements; and expectations concerning ENDRA's business strategy. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, as a result of various factors including, among others, the following: our ability to develop a commercially feasible technology; receipt of necessary regulatory approvals; our ability to find and maintain development partners; market acceptance of our technology; the amount and nature of competition in our industry; our ability to protect our intellectual property; and the other risks and uncertainties described in ENDRA's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements made in this release speak only as of the date of this release, and ENDRA assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements to reflect actual results or changes in expectations, except as otherwise required by law.
Company Contact:
David Wells
Chief Financial Officer
(734) 997-0464
investors@endrainc.com
www.endrainc.com
Media & Investor Relations Contact:
MZ North America
Chris Tyson
Managing Director
(949) 491-8235
NDRA@mzgroup.us
www.mzgroup.us
SOURCE: ENDRA Life Sciences Inc.
