In 1991, Chief Scientist, Dr. Brant Watson, PhD., attended a conference on nitric oxide, a chemical that helps control the diameter of arteries. While it was thought to be beneficial, there were some doubts about its effects. Dr. Watson believed that nitric oxide could be helpful in the case of ischemic stroke. Dr. Watson submitted a grant proposal, resulting in a Jacob Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award, funding his research from 1992 to 1999.
By 1997, Dr. Watson had learned that nitric oxide could be produced by exposing nitrites to ultraviolet light. Using a laser, he was able to cause an artery in a rat to dilate. He also discovered that the dilation could be reproduced in the arterial wall through a process called transnitrosation.
Dr. Watson also developed a method for photothrombosis, which uses lasers and special dyes to create holes in the endothelium, the inner lining of blood vessels. This leads to a strong reaction from platelets, which can cause an artery to become blocked. To solve this problem, Dr. Watson used nitric oxide to dissolve the platelet blockage, which had never been done before.
In 2016, Dr. Watson and Chip Van Vurst began discussing the possibility of using UV laser light to minimize damage to the arterial wall during a medical procedure called thrombectomy, which is used to remove blood clots that cause strokes. In 2020, Mr. Van Vurst stepped down from his position as CEO of BioStem Technologies to work on this project full-time. The two then partnered with Darlene R. Gimble, an attorney and entrepreneur, and restructured and renamed the company from Photothrombotics to it's new identity of Endo UV Tech, which aludes to the fact that the company was no longer strictly focused on thrombectomy. The team then worked with patent attorneys to develop a proposal and apply for patents, the first of which was approved in September 2022.
ENDO UV TECH is also working on a new method to restore blood flow to small blood vessels, called distal microcirculation, during thrombectomy. These vessels are essential for maintaining healthy tissue, and their blockage can cause problems. Although the initial research was done at the University of Miami School of Medicine, the application to thrombectomy was developed after Dr. Watson retired in 2014.