Emergent Technologies, an Austin, TX, venture firm that forms life sciences companies to commercialize university-based technologies, has launched a nanotechnology startup to develop plasma coatings for medical devices.
The new company, AeonClad, was formed after it obtained an exclusive license from the University of Texas at Arlington for its plasma deposition technology, a new method of custom-coating devices that maximizes surface deposition rates and minimizes surface ablation.
“This new method is a breakthrough in nanotechnology coatings since it allows for ultra-thin, highly controllable, functional surfaces with no ‘pin-holes’ that inhibit a device’s intended function,” said Richard Timmons, AeonClad’s chief scientist, in a statement.
The company says the technology could be used to prevent bacterial attachment to medical devices and to develop controlled-release coatings for drug-eluting stents. According to BBC Research, medical device coatings represent a $5-billion-a-year industry.
AeonClad is currently seeking collaborative partnerships with companies in the medical device, drug discovery and industrial processing fields.