Founded through the University of Pennsylvania’s Y-Prize program in 2017, Avisi Technologies develops nanotechnology-enabled ophthalmic devices for glaucoma, including its investigational VisiPlate aqueous shunt. The Redwood City company combines materials science, ophthalmology and MEMS microfabrication to create ultrathin implants intended to lower eye pressure, while its VisiPlate technology advances through clinical research.
Clerio Vision, IncBorn from Nobel Prize-winning University of Rochester research that began in 2003, Clerio Vision develops medical-device platforms for non-invasive vision correction. Its LIRIC technology uses ultrashort laser pulses to write optical prescriptions directly into lens materials or corneal tissue without removing material, with applications spanning contact lenses, myopia control, implanted lenses and refractive correction. The Rochester company is development-stage and has completed first-in-human LIRIC trials while building a patent portfolio of more than 80 U.S. patents.ROCHESTER, NY
IantrekFounded by ophthalmic innovator Sean Ianchulev, MD MPH, Iantrek develops micro-interventional technologies for glaucoma surgery and advances bio-interventional treatment through the uveoscleral pathway. Its portfolio includes AlloFlo Uveo scleral allograft tissue, the AlloSert Uveo delivery instrument, and C-Rex, which combines canaloplasty and goniotomy in one motion. The company’s CREST study has followed more than 450 eyes across 16 locations for at least two years, with findings reported in peer-reviewed publications.WHITE PLAINS, NY
OVITZBorn from a founder’s own experience with post-LASIK higher-order aberrations, Rochester-based OVITZ develops wavefront-guided technology and customized contact lenses for complex vision problems. Its xwave system measures aberrations across the eye, uses proprietary algorithms to design the correction, and connects that data to production of OVITZ-Added scleral lenses such as the Ares lens. The company describes its team as a small group of scientists and engineers working to make advanced HOA correction more accessible through a network of authorized eye-care providers.ROCHESTER, NY
ACUITYnano LLCMaryland-based ACUITYnano LLC develops biomedical and laboratory technologies that use microfluidics, optics, machine vision, and embedded control to manipulate and study nanoscale objects and living cells. Its R&D work ranges from a low-cost on-chip near-field optical microscope with reported 10-nanometer resolution to automated systems for cell and nematode analysis, including research designed for microgravity experiments. The company also helps research organizations, startups, and medical-device businesses move concepts from early development into prototypes and products.CHEVY CHASE, MD