BROOMFIELD, Colo. — The United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued a Notice of Allowance for a patent application from Aclarion Inc. that describes a method to position magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) sampling locations within lumbar intervertebral discs during scan setup.
What the patent covers
The allowed patent application is titled "Multi-Voxel Prescription for Lumbar Disc Evaluation." The method presents both planned and chemically shifted voxel locations to technologists during scan prescription so they can account for chemical-shift effects that otherwise make sampled locations differ from intended positions. The technology is intended to help ensure sampling remains inside disc boundaries and does not capture adjacent tissues.
Aclarion says the approach is designed to reduce trial-and-error in voxel placement, limit the need to run multiple scan series, and lower the likelihood of repeat studies when voxels are placed suboptimally. The capability would become part of the company’s existing Nociscan platform, which uses magnetic resonance spectroscopy data with biomarkers and analytics to help clinicians evaluate lumbar discs as potential sources of chronic low back pain.
"The patent has the potential to improve the efficiency of the Nociscan experience for imaging technologists and patients alike," said Brent Ness, chief executive officer of Aclarion.
Clinical and commercial context
Aclarion is a commercial-stage health-technology company whose intellectual property estate already covers spectroscopy acquisition, data processing, biomarkers and analytics. The firm says that once the allowance converts to an issued patent, it will add to a portfolio that already exceeds 65 issued and pending patents worldwide.
The company also cites a performance statistic for combined use of its Nociscan results with other diagnostic tools: when all Nociscan-positive discs are treated, the firm reports a 97 per cent surgical success rate. That figure is presented by the company as evidence of the platform’s clinical value in identifying pain-generating discs, but the patent itself focuses narrowly on the mechanics of voxel placement during MRS acquisition.
Why voxel placement matters
Magnetic resonance spectroscopy differs from standard MRI by measuring tissue chemistry rather than producing anatomical images alone. In the lumbar spine, chemical-shift effects and small disc volumes mean that a sampling voxel can end up partially outside the targeted disc if not positioned carefully. That risks contamination of the spectroscopic signal with surrounding tissues and can force repeat scans or additional scan series to capture usable data.
- The allowed patent visualizes both planned and shifted voxel locations during prescription.
- It aims to prevent sampling beyond disc boundaries and reduce repeat studies caused by suboptimal voxel placement.
- Integration with the Nociscan platform would pair acquisition improvements with the company’s biomarkers and analytics.
From a workflow perspective, reducing repeat scans benefits imaging departments by saving scanner time and lowers the burden on patients who might otherwise return for additional imaging. For a commercial-stage company, patent protection of a prescriptive workflow feature can also support differentiation in a competitive medical-imaging market.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Reported surgical success rate when Nociscan-positive discs treated | 97% |
| Issued and pending patents worldwide (current) | Over 65 |
The Notice of Allowance is a step toward an issued patent but does not itself confer enforceable patent rights until the patent is granted. The company’s statement did not specify a timetable for issuance. The patent’s narrow focus on voxel-prescription mechanics means its immediate impact will depend on how widely MRS is adopted in routine lumbar-disc assessment and whether the feature is implemented by scanner manufacturers or offered as part of Aclarion’s product ecosystem.
As healthcare systems seek tools that reduce diagnostic ambiguity and unnecessary procedures, technical refinements that lower the chance of repeat imaging could be welcomed by imaging centres and clinicians. For companies, converting an allowance into an issued patent strengthens the legal and commercial position for licensing or exclusive product features tied to spectroscopy workflows.
This report is based on a company press release announcing the USPTO Notice of Allowance and related materials provided by Aclarion.
