Menu – Part 5: A Further List of Potential Publications

First, three updates:

Avistin Update II: AAO supports Medicare Coverage for Off-label Avistan Use

As reported by the OSN Supersite, the Academy of Ophthalmology plans to support the push to have Medicare pay for the off-label use of Avastin in treating AMD.

Custom Ablation #9: Questions.....and Answers

Along with its April 2006 issue, CRS Today published a supplement (sponsored by an unrestricted grant from Advanced Medical Optics) that answers the questions I had raised in previous columns on customized ablation concerning whether wavefront-optimized LASIK was as good as wavefront-guided ablation. (And, were either better than conventional LASIK?)

ARVO 2006: A Further Update on Both Avastin and Lucentis for Treating AMD

Michael Lachman of Lachman Consulting LLC released his latest EyeQ Report, covering developments on both Lucentis and Avastin from the 2006 ARVO meeting held in Sarasota, FL. The report contains the two-year results on the Lucentis MARINA Study and the latest data on the use of intravitreal Avastin.

Next, I intend to post three columns, written in the summer of 1994, that take an inside look into the patent situation in both refractive surgery and in the medical/surgical specialties. I call the series, Entering the Patent Zone.

Entering the Patent Zone: The Volatile History of Medical Laser Patents

In this initial look at the history of medical laser patents, I will introduce you to Gordon Gould and Patlex; Ken Fox and Pillco; and Summit Technology and VISX and Pillar Point Partners, as well as Dr. Rangananth Srinivasan of IBM. In doing so, you will be exposed to some of battles being fought, and those yet to be resolved.

Entering the Patent Zone, Part 2: A Sampling of the Medical Laser Patents Issued in 1993/1994

1993 and 1994 represented a prolific time in the issuance of patents for several of the major medical laser companies. I reviewed a sampling of some of the more interesting medical laser-related patents issued in 1993 and the first several months of 1994.

And finally,

Entering the Patent Zone, Part 3: Optical Feedback Patents Discovered

While undertaking a consulting assignment, I learned about an obscure company that was supposedly developing a unique diagnostic system. In hunting this lead down, I came across a very interesting story and patents. This is the story of Dr. Paul Lovoi and Silicon Surgical.