DiFusion Technologies Announces New Board Member and Leadership

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- DiFusion Technologies, maker of the ZFUZE™ suite of surgical polymers, today announced the addition of Todd Potokar to its Board of Directors. In addition, Rich Grant has been appointed to the role of Chairman of the Board.

“We are extremely excited to have Rich and Todd in these important roles as they each bring over 30 years of orthopedic sales and transactional experience to our board. Their input going forward will be critical to our next phase of growth,” said Derrick Johns, DiFusion founder and CEO.

Mr. Grant was the president, CEO and co-founder of Breakaway Imaging. Breakaway developed new imaging technology – the O-arm™ – that incorporated 2-D (fluoroscopy) and 3-D (CT) imaging in a mobile platform optimized for orthopedic and spine surgery. In June of 2007, Breakaway was sold to Medtronic.

Mr. Grant is currently involved in several medical device initiatives mainly with early-stage spine and orthopedics companies. In addition to DiFusion, he is on the Board of Directors of FastForm Medical (an Irish company focused on orthopedic bracing), SpinalSimplicity (spine implants), OnPoint Surgical (AR for spine/ortho surgery) and is a consultant to other companies in the orthopedic and medical imaging areas. In the past, he has been on the board of Excelsius Surgical (spinal robotics, sold to Globus Medical), Nocimed (MR spectrospcopy, partnering with NuVasive), Trak Surgical (surgical navigation for TKR), Angstrom Medica (sold to Pioneer Surgical) and TheraCell (developer of orthopedic biomaterials).

“I’ve been on DiFusion’s board for four and a half years and I welcome the opportunity to expand my role as chairman. I believe in the company’s vision – to disrupt the status quo and offer better implants for our surgeon customers and the patients they serve,” said Rich Grant, DiFusion chairman of the board.

Mr. Potokar has more than 30 years experience in the medical device space serving as CEO and in other executive leadership roles as well as as an investor, advisor and consultant for publicly traded companies and early-stage start-ups. Dedicated and focused on improving patient outcomes, his extensive premarket-approval (PMA) and commercial experience added to shareholder value and exits while at US Surgical (acquired by Tyco), Surgical Dynamics (acquired by Stryker), Link Spine Group (acquired by Johnson & Johnson) and Titan Spine (acquired by Medtronic).

About DiFusion Technologies

For decades the orthopedic industry has “borrowed” biomaterials like Titanium and PEEK from the aerospace industry. ZFUZE is the first biomaterial engineered to interface with the human immune system. By definition, biomaterials are foreign bodies. Historically, their design has largely been based upon mechanical and physical properties, and bioinertness was a desirable characteristic. Today, as the adaptability of immune cells and the role that biomaterials play on immune-mediated tissue responses becomes better understood, there is a shift towards designing materials that can proactively modulate the immune response.

Located in Austin, Texas, DiFusion was founded in 2011 and is dedicated to engineering and bringing to market a suite of patented immunomodulatory, tissue regenerating and antimicrobial polymers.

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