Page 112 - Technology and Innovation Journal - 19-1

INNOVATION

Sean White Laser Associated Sciences, Inc.
Tyler Rice Beckman Laser Institute
Bruce Yang University of California, Irvine

Approximately 12 million people in the U.S. suffer from a condition called peripheral artery disease
(PAD), which is characterized by arteries in the legs becoming narrowed or blocked by plaque. This
restricts blood flow to the feet and results in 70,000 major amputations in the U.S. each year at a
cost of more than $10 billion.

Despite the severity, >50% of individuals with PAD go undiagnosed because early symptoms can be
difficult to detect by patients and because current screening tests for PAD take too long for most
primary care doctors to perform. In addition, approximately 25% of patients who undergo surgery to
treat PAD require reintervention.

Laser Associated Sciences, a medical device start-up
incubating at the Beckman Laser Institute, has developed
light-based technology to accurately measure blood flow.
Their first device – the FlowMet – is clipped onto a toe and
uses a low-power laser to instantly measure
blood flow. Data collected using FlowMet
suggests that it can not only diagnose PAD
earlier and more accurately than current tests,
but that it can also improve surgical outcomes by
giving surgeons the first real-time measurement
of blood flow. This tells clinicians which surgical
techniques and tools are most effective for restoring FlowMet blood flow
limb-saving blood flow.
measurement system

More information can be found at:
www.laserassociatedsciences.com

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