Catholic University St. Vincent's Hospital Registers U.S. Patent for 'Safe Vitrectomy Cutting Device' for Retinal Surgery

The U.S. Patent Office and the Korean Intellectual Property Office have registered a patent for the 'Safe Vitrectomy Cutting Device,' a medical device for retinal surgery developed by Professor Ji Dong-hyun of the Department of Ophthalmology at Catholic University St. Vincent's Hospital.

The inventor is Professor Ji, and the applicant and patent holder is the Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation of Catholic University.

Vitrectomy is a surgical procedure that removes the vitreous body from the eye to treat retinal diseases. During this process, there is a risk that retinal tissue may be inadvertently aspirated or damaged. The device developed by Professor Ji is designed with a mesh-type protective membrane at the tip of the cutting instrument to selectively remove only the vitreous body while preventing retinal tissue from passing through.

Professor Ji Dong-hyun stated, "The device was designed to structurally reduce the risk of retinal damage and aid in safer retinal surgery," adding, "We plan to pursue follow-up research and technology transfer for clinical application."