Bausch + Lomb has entered into an exclusive license agreement for a three-dimensional surgical navigation technology, the Cirle Surgical Navigation System, from Cirle.
Bausch + Lomb has agreed to license the system from Cirle to pursue commercialization for cataract surgery.
This technology system is the result of the cutting-edge research collaboration between Bausch + Lomb and Cirle to develop new technologies that help fill the unmet needs of the eye health community and the patients they serve.
Cirle founder and CEO Dr Richard Awdeh noted that it is very exciting to see how rapidly this technology has reached this stage of development, a testament to the productivity of industry-incubator collaborations like the unique partnership we have with Bausch + Lomb today.
"The era of digital surgery is upon us. Cirle has been building capabilities and expertise in this area to deliver a broad array of advanced solutions to physicians. As a surgeon myself, it’s been rewarding to work at the intersection of technology and healthcare, and to help guide our product development efforts to address the evolving needs of the surgeons that I know so well.
"We have built an internal team, including many specialty engineers, who are solely focused on solving unmet medical needs through technology, in this case digital surgical navigation, and we do this through partnerships with world-class commercial outfits who license and commercialize jointly in certain fields of use with Cirle," Dr Awdeh added.
In late 2012, Bausch + Lomb announced its partnership with Cirle to bring together the experience and expertise of some of the world’s leading eye health experts, medical researchers and Bausch + Lomb’s global business and commercial capabilities. The forward-looking research projects include new compounds and technologies in addition to other advancements from Bausch + Lomb’s Surgical and eyecare divisions.
The surgical navigation system is not commercially available in the US at this time.