Our Story

Healionics began with a biomedical breakthrough. After years of dedicated research, Dr. Buddy Ratner and Dr. Andrew Marshall of the University of Washington Engineered Biomaterials group (UWEB), discovered the “sweet spot” – the precise pore size and geometry that allows biomaterial to promote the acceptance of biomedical devices within the body.

Ten years of research funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Health and other related grants enabled Drs. Ratner and Marshall to create what is now known as STAR® (Sphere Templated Angiogenic Regeneration) biomaterial, a precision-engineered three-dimensional biomaterial scaffold that is designed to heal around a medical device and promote acceptance in the body.

The transition from scientific innovation to commercially viable biomedical solution takes more than dedicated research, however. Originally recruited as part of the Ratner Biomedical Group incubator, Robert Brown, a University of Washington MBA graduate with a successful background in technology product development, recognized the unique potential of this new technology. Brown led the effort to gather the investors, advisors and management team needed to form Healionics and bring STAR biomaterial to market.

In 2007, Healionics Corporation, headed by CEO Robert Brown, obtained the exclusive, perpetual and global license for the flagship STAR biomaterial scaffold technology. Later that year, STAR’s co-inventors, Dr. Ratner and Dr. Marshall, joined Healionics as SAB Chairman and Principal Scientist, respectively.

Today, STAR biomaterial scaffolds are being evaluated for a variety of applications by research laboratories and healthcare manufacturers around the world. If your device is designed as a long-term implant, contact us to discuss how STAR biomaterial may help.