RI MEDICAL, a company partly owned by the IBV, obtains the European Patent for its prostate cancer screening device

The European Patent Office (EPO) has granted a European Patent to RI MEDICAL for its prostate cancer screening device. This recently announced patent, which covers the main countries in the European Union, will remain in force until at least 2042, allowing RI MEDICAL to exploit it on an exclusive basis until then. The accepted claims cover both the design of the device and the actual prostate cancer screening method.

The technology company, which was launched in 2023 by the venture builder REDIT Ventures, the Instituto de Biomecánica (IBV), the La Fe Health Research Institute (IIS La Fe), the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), has thus taken another step forward in its roadmap to becoming an indispensable tool for detecting prostate cancer with greater efficacy and accuracy.

This medical device combines ultrasound with a stiffness sensor to enable the early detection of prostate cancer (PC), one of the cancers with the highest rate of diagnosis in men worldwide at the screening stage, by providing objective, reproducible and accurate information on prostate stiffness. It is an alternative that provides greater objectivity and efficacy in the detection of prostate cancer, preventing 18% of prostate cancers with normal PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) from going undetected and undiagnosed until a later stage, resulting in higher morbidity and mortality.

Obtaining this patent is a key achievement for RI MEDICAL, as it guarantees market exclusivity for its medical device and consolidates its position in the field of early detection of one of the most common cancers. The company is now applying for patents in other international markets.