The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted Iridex Corporation a patent for a new proprietary disposable device intended to replace certain suturing techniques in eye surgery. The iClip Closure Device will initially be focused on trabeculectomies and is intended to expand to a broader range of ophthalmic surgical procedures in the future.

A trabeculectomy is a common surgical procedure used in the treatment of glaucoma to drain fluid and relieve intraocular pressure. During the procedure, a surgeon removes a piece of tissue in the drainage angle of the eye allowing fluid to bypass the clogged drainage channels.  It is estimated that approximately 400,000 trabeculectomies are performed each year worldwide.

"Eye surgery is a very delicate and precise process," stated co-inventor Steven Vold, MD, cataract and glaucoma specialist.  "The new iClip technology is intended to drive efficiencies in multiple procedures with an initial focus in glaucoma."

"The iClip is a product that has a broad array of potential applications for eye surgery and is consistent with an integral part of our strategic plan: developing products that provide us new, recurring and therefore, predictable revenue streams," stated Will Moore, Iridex President and CEO.  "Furthermore, we believe ongoing investment in defensible intellectual property creates the opportunity for adding significant shareholder value."

Iridex Corporation was founded in 1989 and is a worldwide leader in developing, manufacturing, and marketing innovative and versatile laser-based medical systems, delivery devices and consumable instrumentation for the ophthalmology market.