Johns Hopkins may lag behind its peers when it comes to creating new companies, but that’s not to say the university has been resting on its laurels. Here are a few companies that have Hopkins to thank for getting started.
Vasoptic Medical Inc.
Location: Columbia
Year founded: 2012
Number of employees: 3
What they do: Vasoptic is designing a tool that can help doctors determine if their diabetes patients are going blind. Blindness among people with diabetes is common, but because blindness develops slowly, there is an opportunity for doctors to take corrective action or at least help patients manage the condition — if they are aware of what’s going on.
What’s new: The diagnostic tool is still in the development stage and is preparing for a small study that will give feedback to help improve the device. Vasoptic CEO M. Jason Brooke has set early 2016 as the goal for getting the product to the commercial market.
Hopkins connection: Brooke’s business partner Abhishek Regeis the primary inventor of the technology being used in the diagnostic tool. Rege developed the technology as a biomedical engineering student at Hopkins. Brooke said he connected with Rege when Rege decided he wanted to commercialize his discovery.
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