OmniGuide Renews its Membership in ILP

CAMBRIDGE, MA, November 9, 2005 - CIMIT is pleased to announce that OmniGuide, Inc. has renewed its membership in the Industry Liaison Program.

OmniGuide, Inc. (www.omni-guide.com) develops and manufactures disposable cutting tools for minimally invasive surgery in otolaryngology, head and neck surgery, pulmonology, and gastroenterology. OmniGuide’s revolutionary photonic bandgap fibers allow for the use of CO2 lasers through flexible or rigid endoscopes.

Through its involvement with CIMIT, OmniGuide developed strong clinical relationships with leading pulmonologists, led by Dr. Raphael Bueno (BWH) and Dr. David Feller-Kopman (BIDMC). As part of a Phase I SBIR grant from NCI, OmniGuide’s fibers for guiding CO2 laser energy were used on a sheep model to prove feasibility and safety in ablating airway tumors. With very successful results, OmniGuide has submitted a Phase II application for multi-site clinical trials to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of palliating lung cancer patients suffering from central airway obstruction using the OmniGuide fiber. Clinical treatment for both benign and malignant conditions began earlier this month.

OmniGuide renewed its CIMIT membership in order to expand its network of expert clinical collaborators as new applications are developed.