Aria is developing the first implantable medical device for treating Pulmonary Hypertension (PH), a deadly disease that strikes in the prime of life. In patients with PH, high blood pressure in the lungs increases the workload on the heart and greatly limits physical activity, resulting eventually in right heart failure and death. Aria’s device reduces workload on the heart and is expected to improve both quality and duration of life. The Company is working with the FDA to secure approval to extend their Early Feasibility Study to include pulmonary arterial hypertension, left heart failure and severe lung disease patients, greatly expanding the total market potential.
Autonomix is developing technologies and catheter devices to locate and record neural signaling patterns coupled to individual organs. The Company’s initial applications are for high resolution low noise cardiac electrophysiology mapping, and detecting and quantifying neural activity in the renal arteries - a potentially important aspect of renal denervation therapy (RDN).
Cagent is developing novel interventional devices for the treatment of peripheral artery disease featuring their serrated angioplasty balloon technology, which allows for controlled lower pressure dilatation of vessels with calcifications. Cagent is selling ATK and BTK versions of the Serranator in the US and Germany, and believes that Serration Angioplasty has potential applicability for many other fields of use.
Inquis Medical, Inc.
Inquis Medical is developing novel interventional catheters for treatment of pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis. A novel system design that reduces blood loss and allows faster and easier removal of large clot has been developed, with a goal for clinical use in 2022. The Company believes that rapid demonstration of clinical efficacy and superior performance is key for success in this market.
NeoCis has developed the YOMI small profile robotic guidance system for the dental implant market, enabling implant specialists to place implants easily and precisely, which improves financial results and patient outcomes. The NeoCis system has numerous advantages over conventional surgery, which covers the majority of currently placed implants, and over drill guides, which are currently the best way to guarantee accuracy for complicated cases but which are less accurate and take days to prepare. NeoCis received FDA approval for their YOMI robot in 2017.
Neptune Medical, Inc.
Neptune Medical is developing novel technologies and products to assist in navigation and delivery of therapies in several medical areas. Their dynamically rigidizing overtube (DRO) technology solves one of the central issues associated with endoscopy – the need to combine flexibility (required to negotiate tortuosity), and stiffness (required to create a stable platform and to counteract looping). Neptune is marketing their GI products to strong physician acceptance. Neptune’s dynamically rigidizing technology is also being developed for use in robotic surgery, structural heart therapy, and interventional catheter based procedures.
NeuroSave is developing a therapeutic hypothermia system to locally cool the brain via esophageal lavage with cold saline. Their device can cool rapidly and deeply, providing potential clinical benefits for stroke, cardiac arrest and cardiac surgery patients. NeuroSave is currently seeking clinical validation of its technology.
Palmera Medical is developing a suite of tools for endovascular treatment of ischemic stroke, particularly large vessel occlusion of the intracranial vessels. Endovascular techniques for the treatment of stroke have been evolving for more than 20 years, and recent demonstration of the benefit of these therapies has led to a rapid growth in stroke treatments. Palmera plans to develop several devices that can be used in conjunction to reestablish flow in large vessel occlusion (LVO) of intracranial vessels in the setting of acute ischemic stroke. Initial products include novel aspiration catheters, and research on local hypothermia delivery is underway.
Paradromics is developing a high bandwidth neural interface that will serve as the basis for their next generation neural prosthetic system dubbed Connexus. The Connexus Neural Input Output Bus (NIOB) will act as a broadband modem for the brain, allowing it to communicate with computers and biomedical devices. This connectivity will improve the quality of life for those suffering from neurodegenerative diseases and severe sensory or movement disorders. Paradromics plans to demonstrate the Cortical Module in sheep and to complete the Connexus system by the end of 2022.
Pulson has developed the CounterPace wearable sensor-based smart feedback system to make aerobic exercise easier, more effective, safer and more fun. Pulson's initial product is designed to immediately and dramatically enhance athletic performance via real-time continuous guidance that enables increases in speed and endurance. The Company has moved its initial focus from this consumer market to the medical specialty/ cardiology market, for both rehabilitation of heart failure patients as well as pacemaker control, to improve quality of life and health benefits for patients with very limited exercise capacity through modifications to commonly utilized programmable cardiac technologies.
Respirix is developing a novel approach to monitor chronic disease patients at hospital and at home. Timely detection and intervention for CHF patients with worsening condition has been shown to dramatically reduce hospitalization and mortality. Respirix’ approach involves using precise analysis of breathe exhalation to monitor cardiogenic oscillations, which are a sensitive indication of pulmonary artery compliance and can be used for more accurate noninvasive assessment of cardiac output. Other vital signs are also monitored, and Respirix plans to enter the growing market for remote diagnostics for patients at home.
RODO Medical has developed a unique dental implant retention system based on shape memory metal technology. Current screw or cement retention methods used in implant prosthetic dentistry are technically difficult, time consuming, and have long term complications or difficulties in revision. The RODO Smileloc system retains the implant prosthesis utilizing medical grade nitinol. The crown can be removed by activating this nitinol component. The delivery or removal process takes minutes without damaging the crown or abutment.
Savage Medical, Inc.
Savage Medical is developing the ColoSeal Intracolonic Diversion (ICD) System to provides safe, reliable, and reversible protection of a segment of colon from stool contamination for up to 21 days. Savage Medical’s proprietary negative pressure anchoring system securely holds the protective sleeve in place within the bowel, creating an air- and fluid-tight internal bypass of fecal flow to prevent complications such as anastomotic leaks, peritonitis, and sepsis.The device can be placed by a surgeon during laparoscopy/laparotomy in the operating room, or by a gastroenterologist in an endoscopy suite using a colonoscope without surgery. Removal of the device is done in clinic or at bedside.
ThrombX Medical, Inc.
ThrombX Medical is a startup developing a next generation stent retriever device for ischemic stroke. Their premise is that rapid TICI 3 perfusion needs to be achieved for better outcomes, and current stent retrievers are unable to perform in an optimal manner due to issues with clot capture. The ThrombX Medical device allows much more secure and effective clot capture and removal.ThrombX is currently validating its first pass approach in clinical trials in the US, subsequent to receiving CE mark approval in the EU in 2021.