Bullseye device uses ultrasound to measure the firmness and thickness
of skin for noninvasive and instant quantification of the skin's
mechanical properties. These data can be used to better quantify how
medical conditions, products, and procedures affect the skin.
Research
In addition to its applications in clinical dermatology,
MicroElastic's technology is being explored for multiple medical
applications in collaboration with academic researchers.
Chronic Graft-Versus-Host-Disease
Towards a new standard in GVHD care
MicroElastic and Duke Health have been awarded a Phase II Small
Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant to investigate the use
of Bullseye technology in the management of Chronic
Graft-Versus-Host-Disease (cGVHD).
For patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
for blood cancer treatment, there is a 70% chance of developing
cGVHD, a deadly condition without a cure. cGVHD manifests in the
skin as sclerosis, providing a potential biomarker to detect the
disease and manage treatment. However, current methods – manual
palpitation, compression, suction – are imprecise and exhibit too
much inter-provider variability to be clinically useful. Our
Bullseye technology takes quantitative measurements of skin
elasticity that can help facilitate earlier detection of cGVHD,
track disease progression, characterize an individual's response
to therapy, and assist in the clinical assessment of skin.*
Lymphedema
Skin elasticity as a biomarker for lymphedema
MicroElastic was awarded a Small Business Innovation Research
(SBIR) grant to investigate the use of Bullseye technology in the
management of lymphedema. We are collaborating with the Duke
Cancer Center on this research.
Lymphedema is a condition caused by a blockage in the lymphatic
system. Lymphedema results in swelling and pressure buildup in
surrounding tissue that stretches the overlying skin. The
tightness of the streching can be directly measured by Bullseye
technology and serve as a potential biomarker for lymphedema. By
enabling convenient and precise quantification of lymphedema using
skin elasticity as a biomarker, Bullseye technology can improve
long-term outcomes, enhance patient compliance, and help
clinicians better detect and manage lymphedema overall.*
*This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA, and Bullseye is not
cleared for sale in the USA or intended for clinical diagnostic use.
Team
Peter Hollender, Ph.D.
Founder & Chief Executive Officer Director
Ultrasound expert and passionate innovator. Founded MicroElastic
to deliver customer-focused technology solutions to enable
precision medicine.
Thomas Hitchcock, Ph.D.
Strategic Advisor Director
Co-founder of Xycrobe and Bellus (both sold to
Crown Labs )
Petek Sener, MEng.
Software Engineer
Biomedical engineer, device software lead, and clinical research
coordinator.
Experienced Contractors and Advisors
Steve Grenon
Quality and Product Development Advisor
Rich McGivney, CPA
Chief Financial Officer
William F. Walker, Ph.D.
Ultrasonics and Commercialization Advisor
Matt Norwood
Sales Strategy Advisor
Fred Kornharens
Business Advisor
Jesko von Windheim, Ph.D., MBA.
Business Advisor
Nick Bottenus, Ph.D.
Scientific Advisor
Mark Palmeri, M.D., Ph.D.
Co-Inventor and Chief Scientific Advisor
Suyash Kumar
Software Advisor
Adela Rambi Cardones, M.D.
Dermatologist and Medical Advisor
News and Updates
September 10th, 2021
MicroElastic continues collaborating with
Lumedica on an
SBIR-funded project to develop an integrated elastography scanner.
The integrated device combines Lumedica’s deep imaging Optical
Coherence Tomography (OCT) scanner with our Bullseye system to
create the first Optical Coherence Elastography-CSI (OCE-CSI) system
for dermatologic applications.
September 5th, 2021
MicroElastic was awarded a Phase I Small Business Innovation
Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
With this grant, we will investigate the use of our Bullseye
technology to study clinical lymphedema in collaboration with the
Duke Cancer Center.
For patients undergoing lymph node dissection and/or radiation
therapy for cancer treatment, developing lymphedema is a lifetime
risk. Lyhmphedema is a lifeling condition without a cure and causes
swelling of the extremities and motor impairment. According to the
2016 Consensus Document of the International Society of Lymphology,
“An accurate diagnosis of lymphedema is essential for appropriate
therapy”. Detecting and monitoring lymphedema is critical to
successful long term management, but current methods lack the
required precision, repeatability, and convenience to detect the
disease before symptoms present. Our Bullseye technology measures
skin elasticity instantly and noninvasively and can provide a
useful, objective measure for quantifying the disease in a clinical
setting.
NIH's SBIR/STTR program funds startups that create products and
services that can potentially benefit society. A group of technical
and commercial experts evaluates each application, provides
feedback, and assesses the technical and commercial merit of the
proposed technology. After the company is awarded a Phase I grant
(up to $256,000), it can apply for a Phase II grant (up to
$1,000,000) to further develop and commercialize its technology.
MicroElastic welcomes Thomas Hitchcock, PhD. as a new board member
and strategic advisor. Dr. Hitchcock has founded Xycrobe and Bellus
which were both sold to Crown Labs. We are excited for the unique
industry-specific perspective and vision he will be bringing to our
team.
January 29th, 2021
MicroElastic has achieved its most important commercial validation
to date, by fully committing its entire fleet of demo devices to
clinical studies with strategic partners. The initial engagements
will last several months and will yield important evidence for the
utility of our technology in the context of anti-aging applications.
October 5th, 2020
Our STTR-funded clinical study is now underway at Duke Health. This
study will both build a baseline normagram of skin elasticity in
healthy volunteers, and correlate our noninvasive measurements of
elasticity against invasive gold-standard scoring of skin sclerosis
via biopsy in patients with sclerotic skin disease, in particular
patients with Graft-Versus-Host-Disease.
July 29th, 2020
MicroElastic is excited to announce that we are launching a demo
fleet of Bullseye devices in September. We are currently arranging
clinical studies with partners in the skincare industry to evaluate
the effects of several therapies on skin elasticity. Please contact
us if you are interested in a virtual demo!
January 24th, 2020
MicroElastic will be attending the American Academy of Dermatology
Annual Meeting to share updates on our technology and clinical data,
as well as engage with potential strategic partners. Please reach
out directly if you are attending and would like to arrange a
meeting. The event will be held March 20-24 at the Colorado
Convention Center in Denver, CO.
January 14th, 2020
MicroElastic was invited to deliver a 4-minute pitch presentation at
the Venture Connect Summit, hosted by the Council for
Entrepreneurial Development, and considered the premier life science
event in the southeast. The event will be held March 17-19 at the
Raleigh Convention Center in Raleigh, NC.
