Tomophase Corp. was awarded its seventh patent by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office for a key component of the optical coherence tomography imaging system it’s readying for clearance by the Food & Drug Administration.

The Burlington, Mass.-based company said the patent, for "Delivering Light via Optical Waveguide and Multi-view Optical Probe Head," covers a disposable fiber-optic imaging catheter for the OCTIS device. The system uses low-level lasers to create images of the airway and lung tissue.

Tomophase said it’s pursuing FDA clearance for the OCTIS device and has 20 more patents pending.

In March, the company tapped a former Pfizer executive, Ralph Johnston, to be its new president and COO.