IRIDEX's new proprietary disposable delivery device granted U.S. patent

IRIDEX Corporation (NASDAQ: IRIX) today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office granted the company a patent for a new proprietary disposable delivery device. The disposable delivery device, the first of its kind, enables ophthalmologists to administer IRIDEX' proprietary MicroPulse Laser Therapy in a unique and non-invasive way. The new disposable delivery device was developed to address a broad range of glaucoma patients and is planned to be commercially available in the first quarter of 2015.

"Creating innovative devices to extend the reach of our MicroPulse Laser Therapy for the treatment of both retina conditions and glaucoma is one of our company's key objectives," said Will Moore, IRIDEX President and CEO. "This new delivery device is the first of several proprietary and disposable glaucoma technologies planned for release, and it represents a significant step towards our goal of growing procedural based recurring revenues. Our aim is to create durable and cost-effective treatment options to align with the global trend of value-based medicine."

Glaucoma is the leading cause of adult irreversible blindness. It is estimated that more than 4 million people in the US and approximately 60 million worldwide are afflicted with the disease today. It is IRIDEX' opinion that the safety profile of MicroPulse may provide a treatment alternative for patients while also allowing physicians' to use other types of required glaucoma therapies as the disease progresses.

SOURCE IRIDEX Corporation