Proa Medical, Inc., developer of innovative and practical medical devices for women’s health, has been granted patents in China and Russia covering the company’s first product, the Brella Vaginal Retractor. The company had received US patent covering the Brella Vaginal Retractor from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on June 9, 2015.

The Brella Vaginal Retractor is a single-use device with a built-in light source designed to provide optimal visualization and access during vaginal or perineal wound repair. Repair of vaginal and perineal lacerations secondary to childbirth, required in approximately half of all deliveries, is among the most frequently performed surgical procedures worldwide. The Brella Vaginal Retractor is used in hospitals’ labor and delivery departments for hands-free retraction and deep illumination. The sterile device features a unique canopy design incorporating a bright, deep light source, providing a clear and unobstructed view of the vaginal walls and surrounding structures.

Russian Patent No. 2567270, “Minimally obstructive retractor,” was issued to the Alfred Mann Institute for Biomedical Engineering on November 10, 2015. China’s State Intellectual Property Office provided Notification on Grant of Patent Right for Invention No. 201280059534.0 on December 16, 2015. Proa Medical’s CTO/COO Afshin Nadershahi, MD, MBA is named as the lead inventor. Proa Medical has obtained a broad license to this and several other medical device inventions from the Alfred E. Mann Institute for Biomedical Engineering at the University of Southern California (AMI-USC), with the fully-paid option to outright own the intellectual property.

“We are very pleased with the issuance of this patent in China and Russia for Proa Medical,” said Arman Nadershahi, chief executive officer of Proa Medical and a registered U.S. patent attorney. “In addition to providing intellectual property protection in large markets, the issuance of these patents confirms the Chinese State Intellectual Property Office’s and Russian Federal Service for Intellectual Property’s recognition that the Brella represents a new and innovative medical device.” Proa Medical is also pursuing patent protection in numerous other countries, reflecting the large global market that could benefit from its devices.