Technology Commercialization / Clinical Translation
Dr. Schmidt and her students/postdocs have a number of patents issued through MIT, The University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Florida, with a number of others pending. Several patents are licensed to companies such as AxoGen (for the Avance nerve graft) and Alafair Biosciences (for the VersaWrap Tendon Protector and the VersaWrap Nerve Protector).
Avance Nerve Graft
Dr. Schmidt and her group’s research on development of decellularized nerve tissue (Hudson et al., 2004, Tissue Engineering. 10(11/12): 1641-1651; Hudson et al., 2004, Tissue Engineering. 10(9/10): 1346-1358) while at UT Austin has been licensed and utilized in AxoGen Inc.’s Avance® nerve graft, which has already impacted many thousands of patients who suffer from peripheral nerve injuries, such as those that result from trauma to the legs, arms and face.
AxoGen Bloomberg TV Interview Information on Avance Graft
VersaWrap Tendon and Nerve Protectors
Dr. Schmidt and her group’s work on hydrogel membranes is licensed to the start-up company Alafair Biosciences in Austin Texas. Alafair received FDA 510(k) clearance for its first product, VersaWrap Tendon Protector, in 2016 and the first patient implant took place in December 2017.Alafair also received FDA clearance for its second product, the VersaWrap Nerve Protector, in Fall 2020.
Patents and Invention Disclosures
Shastri, V.R., C.E. Schmidt, J.P. Vacanti, R. Langer. “Neuronal Stimulation Using Electrically Conducting Polymers”. US Patent # 6,095,148, EP Patent# 0,868,508, WO Patent# 1,997,016,545 (MIT; issue date: Aug. 1, 2000). Licensed by Smith and Nephew.
Rivers, T.J., C.E. Schmidt. “Biodegradable, Electrically Conducting Polymer for Tissue Engineering Applications”. US Patent # 6,696,575, WO Patent# 2,002,076,288 (UT Austin; issue date: Feb. 24, 2004). Licensed by Axogen, Inc.
Hudson, T.W., C.E. Schmidt. “Cell-free tissue replacement for tissue engineering”. US Patent #s 7,402,319; 8,758,794; 9,597,429 (UT-Austin; issue dates: July 22, 2008; June 24, 2014; March 21, 2017, respectively). Licensed by Axogen, Inc. for AVANCE™ Nerve Graft.
Belcher, A.M., C.E. Schmidt, K.P.H. Miller, A. Sanghvi. “Composition, method and use of bi-functional biomaterials”. US Patent # 7,598,344, EP Patent# 1,534,831, WO Patent# 2,004,035,612 (UT Austin; issue date: October 6, 2009). Licensed by Saluria Technologies.
Zawko, S., C.E. Schmidt. “Dendritic Macroporous Hydrogels Prepared by Crystal Templating”. US Patent #s 8,668,863; 8,728,499; 9,320,827; 9,896,561; 10,442,911; 10,982,068 (UT Austin; issue dates: March 11, 2014; May 20, 2014; April 26, 2016; Feb. 20, 2018; Oct. 15, 2019; April 20, 2021, respectively). Licensed by Alafair Biosciences for VersaWrap® Tendon Protector.
Mayes, S., C.E. Schmidt. “One-Step Processing of Hydrogels for Mechanically Robust and Chemically Desired Features”. US Patent #s 8,946,194; 9,656,001; 10,279,042; 11,246,937; WO Patent# 2,012,048,283 (UT Austin; issue dates: Feb. 3, 2015; May 23, 2017; May 7, 2019; Feb. 15, 2022, respectively). Licensed by Alafair Biosciences for VersaWrap® Tendon Protector.
Mayes, S., C.E. Schmidt. “Anti-adhesive Barrier Membrane Using Hyaluronic Acid for Biomedical Applications”. US Patent #s 9,095,558; 10,314,950; 11,058,802 (UT Austin; issue dates: Jan. 21, 2016; June 11, 2019; July 13, 2021 respectively). Licensed by Alafair Biosciences for VersaWrap® Tendon Protector.
Mayes, S., S. Zawko, C.E. Schmidt. “Hydrogel membrane for adhesion prevention”. US Patent #s 9,662,424; 10,272,184; 10,850,011 (UT Austin; issue dates: May 30, 2017; April 30, 2019; December 1, 2020, respectively). Licensed by Alafair Biosciences for VersaWrap® Tendon Protector.
Hardy, J., C.E. Schmidt. “Drug delivery using electrochemically-triggered biodegradable electroactive materials”. US Patent # 9,783,637 (University of Florida; issue date: Oct. 10, 2017).
Hardy, J.H., C.E. Schmidt. “Electroactive supramolecular polymeric assemblies, methods of making electroactive supramolecular polymeric assemblies, and methods of using electroactive supramolecular polymeric assemblies”. US Patent #s 10,653,798; 11,007,278 (University of Florida; issue date: May 19, 2020; May 18, 2021, respectively).
Hardy, J., C.E. Schmidt. “Electroactive polymeric scaffolds and method for delivering nerve growth factor to nerve tissue”. US Patent # 10,597,636 (University of Florida; issue date: March 24, 2020).
Schmidt, C.E., R.A. Wachs, R.C. Cornelison. “Tissue decellularization methods”. US Patent #10,898,608 (University of Florida; issue date: January 26, 2021).
Rinaldi, C., C.E. Schmidt, C. Lacko, Z. Khaing, A. Garcia. “Magnetically templated tissue engineering scaffolds and methods of making and using the magnetically templated tissue engineering scaffolds”. US Patent #10,918,767 (University of Florida; issue date: February 16, 2021).
Hur, B., J. Hardy, W.R. Eisenstadt, C.E. Schmidt. “Drug delivery integrated circuit (ic) and system”. US Patent #11,285,307 (University of Florida; issue date: March 29, 2022).
Judy, J., C.E. Schmidt, K. Otto, C. Rinaldi, C.A. Kuliasha. “Tissue-engineered electronic peripheral nerve interface”. US Patent App. 15/987,388, 2018.
Mobini, S., C.E. Schmidt, A.B. Brennan, C.A. Kuliasha, J. Judy. “Sharklet topographies to control neutral cell interactions with implanted electrodes”. US Patent App. 16/485,685, 2020.
Agrawal, N., J. Griffin, C.E Schmidt, M.W. McCrary, D. Bousalis, Y.H. Song “Decellularized tissues, hydrogels thereof, and uses thereof”. US Patent App. 16/968,941, 2021.
Schmidt, C.E., B.S. Spearman, T. Ngo “Bioprinted, 3D Scaffolds for Cellular Test Beds and Methods of Use Thereof”. US Patent App. 17/236,352, 2021.
Schmidt, C.E., S. Mobini “Electrical Stimulation of Cells to Induce Enhanced Secretome for Therapeutic Applications”. US Patent App. 17/263,263, 2021.