CorInnova raises $6m for EpicHeart soft robotic heart failure treatment

CorInnova said today that it raised $6.1 million from Wellcome Trust for the EpicHeart device it’s developing to treat heart failure. Houston-based CorInnova said EpicHeart is a direct cardiac compression device that uses a collapsible, thin-film, pneumatically actuated soft robotic device to surround both ventricles of the heart. It’s designed to use air to inflate and increase cardiac output by gently squeezing the heart. Founded to commercialize technology developed at Texas A&M University’s Cardiac Mechanics Laboratory by Dr. John Criscione, CorInnova is backed by a group of private investors, the National Heart Lung Blood Institute and National Science Foundation, the Texas Emerging Technology Fund and now the Wellcome Fund, a charitable foundation. CorInnova is also a resident at Johnson & Johnson Innovation, JLABS @ TMC, a life science incubator in Houston. “Our EpicHeart technology is innovative and groundbreaking. We believe it will lead to a new paradigm for heart failure treatment,” CEO William Altman said in prepared remarks. “We are honored to have our work recognized by the Wellcome Trust. We are further honored to have been chosen by JLABS as one of a limited number of companies to be invited to join its life sciences incubator. Due to its minimally invasive nature and its potential for reduced adverse events from blood contact, CorInnova’s non-blood-contacting soft robotic cardiac assist device could poten...
Source: Mass Device - Category: Medical Devices Authors: Tags: Cardiac Assist Devices Funding Roundup Wall Street Beat CorInnova Source Type: news