VCOM View Vol 10 No 1

SCHOLARLY Spotlight

Patents Awarded to Two VCOM Faculty Researchers

M ike Breiner, MD, Chair of Surgery and Associate Professor of Surgery and Anatomy at VCOM-Virginia, was awarded a patent for “Apparatus and Method for Use of a Multi-degree-

reduce the bleeding. Unfortunately, the use of epinephrine, particularly in the elderly patient population, often causes an erratic heartbeat and may ultimately result in myocardial infarction. This clamp is spring-loaded and collapses the blood vessels without causing damage to the skin. It functions similar to a clothespin. After removing the tumor, the ratchet mechanism allows the skin edges to be brought together, creating a tension free repair with superior anatomical landmark alignment. VCOM is excited about the innovative invention because it will lead to better patient outcomes and make the patient more comfortable during minor surgery.

of-freedom Surgical Clip.” This device facilitates the removal of tumors of the lip, tongue, nose and ears. It can also be used to repair lacerations of these areas. These anatomical areas bleed profusely, and traditionally, epinephrine is administered when repairing defects in these areas to

Detail from one of the illustrations of Dr. Breiner’s patented device is shown above.

B everly Professor for Pharmacology at

nanoparticles effectively prevent against oxidative stress and memory dysfunction in a rat model of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), a mouse model with Parkinson’s disease and in tissue cultures of Alzheimer’s disease.

Rzigalinski, PhD, MS ,

VCOM-Virginia, was awarded a patent for her research “Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles

for Treatment and Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, and Disorders Associated with Free Radical Production and/or Mitochondrial Dysfunction.” Cerium oxide nanoparticles are regenerative free radical scavengers that enter the brain, detoxify free radicals and regenerate their capabilities – allowing a single nanoparticle to scavenge hundreds of thousands of free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules made during normal cell metabolism (chemical changes that take place in a cell). Dr. Rzigalinski’s work has demonstrated that cerium oxide

summer/fall 2020 | VCOM V iew M agazine 51