http://www.azonano.com/news.asp?newsID=12115

Leti, a leading global research center committed to creating and commercializing innovation in micro- and nanotechnologies, announced today that it has launched a new company, Fluoptics, that will improve surgery of some types of cancers.

Combining technologies developed by Leti and Université Joseph Fourier in Grenoble, Fluoptics developed an innovative approach of fluorescence imaging for cancer targeting. This new real-time, imaging technique improves detection of tumors and helps surgeons to delineate it for exerese.

Fluoptics, the 30th startup launched by Leti, expects to commercialize its FluoBeam instrument in 2010 for pre-clinical research and begin regulatory the toxicity phases of its first fluorescent marker.

“Fluoptics not only exemplifies Leti’s mission of creating innovation and transferring it to industry, but it also is our first startup in the growing field of bio-medicine,” said Laurent Malier, CEO of Leti. “The company has great potential to improve the detection and treatment of cancer, and to have a real impact on the lives of cancer patients.”

“It is very difficult to distinguish between cancerous and healthy tissue, and our technology is the only intra-operative technique available to help surgeons precisely locate and delineate tumors,” said Odile Allard, CEO of Fluoptics. “Our incubation in Leti enabled the finalization of the laboratory prototype and its preclinical validation by surgeons specialized in cancer.”

Fluoptics, one of the four startups launched by Leti in the past year, will be based in MINATEC, Europe’s leading center of excellence in micro- and nanotechnologies.

Posted June 17th, 2009