News and Events > News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (September 10, 2008)

ZENWA TO COMMERCIALIZE UNIV. OF COLORADO POLYMER
WAVEGUIDE ARRAY TECHNOLOGY

Zenwa, Inc. has received a $500K grant to develop the CU technology for use in endoscopy, and will also use the technology to develop medical devices for improved vision.

(BOULDER, Colo.) Massachusetts-based Zenwa Incorporated recently executed an exclusive license with the University of Colorado for a patented polymer waveguide array technology developed by Assistant Professor Robert McLeod in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at CU-Boulder. The license agreement with the University of Colorado’s Technology Transfer Office (TTO) and Zenwa supports a technology that would produce better techniques for the aid and rehabilitation of the legally blind and partially sighted, among other applications.
The planned first product of the polymer waveguide array technology is for a family of disposable endoscope probes; to replace multi-use fiber bundle technology based devices. In support of the endoscope development initiative, Zenwa has received a Phase 2 Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant from the NSF the amount of $500,000 for a 24-month program that started in August of 2008. Another planned early application includes a multi-functional low vision eye research platform that will be used for clinical research to develop new diagnostic procedures and treatments, as well as for low vision engineering research to produce further aid and rehabilitation for individuals considered legally blind or partially sighted. The system will have the capability to track the eyes, image the retina and present a visual stimulus with a single, affordable device. The license is in the field of use that includes Zenwa’s newest patent-pending product, a generic ocular platform incorporated into the form factor of a personal eyeglass-mounted display with stereo and 3-D capabilities.

About the Technology Transfer Office
The CU Technology Transfer Office pursues, protects, packages, and licenses to business the intellectual property generated from research at CU. The TTO provides assistance to faculty, staff, and students, as well as to businesses looking to license or invest in CU technology. For more information about technology transfer at CU, visit www.cu.edu/techtransfer.

About the University of Colorado
The University of Colorado is a three-campus system with campuses in Boulder and Colorado Springs, and a Denver campus located in downtown Denver and at the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora. CU is a premier teaching and research university, ranked sixth among public institutions in federal research expenditures by the National Science Foundation. Academic prestige is marked by CU’s four Nobel laureates, seven Mac Arthur “genius” Fellows, 18 astronauts, 19 Rhodes Scholars and CU-Boulder’s ranking of 11th best public university in the world by the Institute for Higher Education. For further information, please visit http://www.CU.edu.