Dr. Peter Zahos Research and Patents
Dr. Peter Zahos research and patents center on one question: how to repair a worn spinal disc instead of only working around it. He holds four granted U.S. patents, founded the medical technology company Discogen, and his noninvasive ultrasound approach for disc pain, DiscRx™, entered its first human trial at Columbia University in April 2025.
Key Facts About His Research
Here is the short version before we go through each piece.
- Four granted U.S. patents, issued between 2012 and 2014, covering disc repair, a synthetic disc material, a drug-based disc therapy and a skull closure system.
- Three more published patent applications, including an ultrasonic disc therapy system filed in 2025.
- Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Discogen, which designs, patents and commercializes devices and therapeutics for discogenic back pain.
- DiscRx™ uses low-intensity pulsed ultrasound, delivered from outside the body, aimed at relieving low back and leg pain that starts in a disc.
- A randomized, double-blinded pilot study of DiscRx™ is running at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
- Discogen’s research has been published in Physics in Medicine & Biology, Biomedical Physics & Engineering Express and the Proceedings of SPIE.
Dr. Zahos’s Granted U.S. Patents
Each of these patents was issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office with Peter A. Zahos named as the inventor. Three of the four deal directly with the intervertebral disc, the cushion between the bones of the spine.
US 8,088,084: Repair of Intervertebral Discs
Granted in 2012 and assigned to The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, this patent describes repairing a disc by aiming ultrasound energy at a target area from outside the body while the temperature at that spot is monitored. It is the early groundwork for the ultrasound approach Discogen is testing today.
US 8,137,688: A Synthetic Nucleus Pulposus
Also granted in 2012 to The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, this patent covers a cross-linked hyaluronan material designed to act as a replacement for the gel-like center of a disc, for use in degenerative disc disease and back pain.
US 8,828,977: A Drug Therapy for Degenerative Disc Disease
Granted in 2014 and assigned to Discogen, this patent covers treating degenerative disc disease with an inhibitor of matrix metalloprotease, an enzyme involved in breaking down tissue.
US 8,241,336: Craniotomy Closure Systems
Granted in 2012, this patent covers fasteners and a protective covering used to reattach the section of skull removed during brain surgery.
Patent Applications in Disc Therapy
Beyond the granted patents, three published applications show how the work has carried forward over almost two decades.
Ultrasonic Spinal Disc Therapeutics (2025)
Filed by Discogen in October 2025 and published in May 2026, this application describes a system that locates the target area on the body, applies a coupling gel and delivers ultrasound for degenerative disc therapy.
Biopolymer System for Tissue Sealing (2007)
This application describes placing a hydrogel sealant inside the disc to fill tears in its outer wall and replace material that has leaked from its center.
A Second Drug-Based Disc Therapy (2006)
Filed through Discogen, this application covers treating degenerative disc disease with an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase.
DiscRx™ and Discogen’s Ultrasound Research
Dr. Zahos founded Discogen to turn his disc research into treatments patients can actually use. Its lead approach, DiscRx™, is a noninvasive, ultrasound-based treatment of the intervertebral disc using low-intensity pulsed ultrasound, often shortened to LIPUS.
The idea is to reach the disc without an incision or a needle. Discogen reports that in vitro and in vivo studies show LIPUS reducing inflammation and promoting disc repair processes. Those are laboratory and animal results, which is why the human trial matters.
Dr. Zahos talked through how the idea started and where it is headed in our Discogen and DiscRx™ podcast article.
The DiscRx™ Clinical Trial at Columbia University
The First-In-Human trial of DiscRx™ began at Columbia University in April 2025. It is a double-blinded, two-arm, prospective, randomized controlled pilot feasibility study, which means neither the patients nor the researchers measuring results know who received the active treatment.
The principal investigator is Dr. Clark Smith of the Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. The study is expected to conclude within a year, and you can read the full listing on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06611397).
DiscRx™ is still in clinical study. A pilot trial like this one looks at safety and whether a larger study is practical, so it is an important step rather than a final answer.
Published Research on Ultrasound and Disc Degeneration
Discogen’s work has appeared in peer-reviewed physics and engineering journals. Each paper below links to the full text.
Delivering Ultrasound to Lumbar Discs From Outside the Body
In silico feasibility assessment of extracorporeal delivery of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound to intervertebral discs within the lumbar spine, Physics in Medicine & Biology, 2020. A computer modeling study of whether ultrasound sent from outside the body can reach the discs of the lower back.
Testing LIPUS on Disc Cells in the Lab
LIPUS far-field exposimetry system for uniform stimulation of tissues in-vitro, Biomedical Physics & Engineering Express, 2020. It describes a system for giving cells an even dose of ultrasound, validated with bovine disc cells.
The Early Case for LIPUS in Disc Degeneration
Low intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) for the treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration, Proceedings of SPIE, 2017.
Discogen’s advisory board includes Jeffrey Lotz, PhD, of the UCSF Orthopaedic Bioengineering Lab, Nicholas Theodore, MD, of Johns Hopkins, and Chris J. Diederich, PhD, of UCSF Thermal Therapy.
What His Patent Work Means for Your Visit
Years spent studying how discs break down shape how Dr. Zahos reads your imaging. He looks at whether a worn disc actually explains your pain, and he recommends surgery only when you need it.
His research doesn’t change the basics of a visit. He still goes through your symptoms, exam and scans with you and explains your options in plain terms. You can meet Dr. Peter A. Zahos and read about his training, leadership roles and teaching.
Serving Paramus and Bergen County
Our office at 140 Route 17 North, Suite 255, in Paramus sees patients from Ridgewood, Hackensack, Fair Lawn, River Edge and across Bergen County. If you want a neurosurgeon in Paramus, NJ who has spent his career on the science of the disc, we would be glad to see you.
Questions About Dr. Zahos’s Research From Patients Near You
How many patents does Dr. Peter Zahos hold?
He is the named inventor on four granted U.S. patents, issued between 2012 and 2014, plus several published patent applications, including an ultrasonic disc therapy system filed in 2025.
What is Discogen?
Discogen is the medical technology company Dr. Zahos founded and leads as Chief Executive Officer. It designs, patents and commercializes devices and therapeutics for back pain that comes from the spinal discs.
What is DiscRx™?
DiscRx™ is Discogen’s noninvasive treatment that aims low-intensity pulsed ultrasound at the intervertebral disc from outside the body. It is designed to relieve low back and leg pain that starts in the disc, and it is still in clinical study.
Where is the DiscRx™ trial taking place?
At Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York, led by Dr. Clark Smith. It began in April 2025, and details are listed on ClinicalTrials.gov under NCT06611397.
Does Dr. Zahos still see patients in Paramus?
Yes. He sees patients at Level One Neurosurgery in Paramus for spine evaluations, second opinions and surgery when it’s needed.
Does his research mean he favors surgery?
No. Much of his patent work looks for ways to treat a damaged disc without a large operation, and in the office he recommends surgery only when your symptoms, exam and imaging call for it.
Get Clarity About Your Brain or Spine Condition
Meet with board-certified neurosurgeon Dr. Peter A. Zahos for a personalized evaluation, imaging review, or trusted second opinion.