Applied Tissue Optics, Inc.

Applied Tissue Optics (ATO) has developed a proprietary technology for temporarily altering the optical properties of biological tissues to improve optical diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The underlying basis of ATO’s approach involves the reduction of light attenuation within the interstitial medium of biological tissues, a process we have termed ALARIS (Alleviating Light Attenuation by Reduction of Interstitial Scattering). Since scattering is a function of the heterogeneity of the refractive indices of the constituents of tissue, increasing the refractive index of the interstitial medium to approach the refractive index of other tissue constituents, such as collagen and ground substances, serves to significantly reduce the scattering properties of tissue, thereby augmenting light transmission to the targeted subsurface tissue structures. Examples of the applications of this technology include the use of ALARIS for improved laser removal of unwanted tattoos, deeper penetration of sensitizing light radiation for photodynamic therapy, laser treatment of pigmented and vascular lesions of the skin, deeper confocal imaging and optical coherence tomography of ocular and cutaneous structures. Overall Concept: The exterior of most organs is protected by a surface permeability barrier, such as the stratum corneum for skin, or conjunctiva for the eye, which prevents free transport of fluids into and out of the organ. Past the surface permeability barrier, biological tissues consist of a wide range of structures that are surrounded by interstitial fluid. The ATO technology is based on a temporary substitution of the tissue’s natural interstitial fluid (mostly water) with a compound that has a higher refractive index, thereby substantially reducing the scattering properties of tissues. Reduced scattering properties of the tissue results in translucency or transparency of the tissue. Since the tissue’s natural transport activities replace the fluid introduced