Luxcath Awarded U.S. Patent For Real-Time Lesion Visualization Technology Focused On Atrial Fibrillation Ablation

• Groundbreaking innovation has immediate market application in the catheter treatment of Atrial Fibrillation (AF), the most common irregular heartbeat affliction.
• Technology directly interrogates cardiac tissue using light in catheter-based embodiments to optically identify naturally occurring fluorescing molecules.
• System determines electrode-tissue contact as well as monitors lesion progression during ablation and provides real-time lesion visualization without pressure sensors or ultrasound.

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--LuxCath LLC, a medical technology company that is developing catheter-based real-time tissue contact assessment, lesion visualization, and lesion gap detection technology, announced today that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued U.S. Patent No. 9,084,611 entitled “Systems and Methods for Visualizing Ablated Tissue.”

“We believe this technology can become integral to the detection of gaps in lesions during an ablation procedure, which should improve outcomes”

LuxCath’s technology for directly visualizing tissue and lesions in real time has initial application in the treatment of Atrial Fibrillation (AF). AF is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat, in the U.S., affecting more than 2 million people, or about 1 in every 150 individuals. The relatively new but minimally invasive procedure used to restore the heartbeat to a normal pace, known as Radio Frequency Catheter Ablation (RFCA), optimally requires a real-time, lesion-identifying, direct visualization tool in order to be performed consistently, effectively, quickly and safely.

“The benefits of directly interrogating the tissue optically in real time allow us to understand if we have good contact with the tissue while also revealing enormous amounts of information about the tissue before, during and after the ablation, which previously had not been available,” said Dr. Omar Amirana, M.D., LuxCath Chief Executive Officer and Senior Vice President at Boston-based Allied Minds. “We are introducing new windows into the science of ablation therapy for all arrhythmias with this technology. While we are focused on AF, this should significantly improve clinical outcomes, reduce procedure times, minimize procedure costs, and positively impact burdensome re-treatments for all ablation procedures.”

LuxCath’s technology can monitor tissue ablation in real time to help ensure the elimination of gaps of viable tissue between the lesions during an RFCA procedure. The technology also has the benefit of determining the quality of electrode-tissue contact. This medical innovation is based on collaborative research and development with researchers and faculty at the George Washington University, as well as the product development team at Nocturnal Product Development (NPD).

“The technology is impressive as it can operate as a standalone catheter or it can be easily integrated into existing ablation catheters. It is unheard of to have such a clear and unaltered view of the activity underneath the endocardium before, during and after a cardiac ablation,” commented Terry Ransbury, NPD co-owner and co-founder.

“We believe this technology can become integral to the detection of gaps in lesions during an ablation procedure, which should improve outcomes,” stated KC Armstrong, NPD co-owner and co-founder. NPD is the development partner for LuxCath technology and has been integral to developing and testing the LuxCath systems.

More information about LuxCath can be found at www.luxcath.com. The company is a subsidiary of Allied Minds. (LSE: ALM)

About LuxCath, LLC
LuxCath is a leader in catheter-based, real-time optical tissue-electrode contact assessment, lesion progression monitoring, and lesion visualization for cardiac ablation. LuxCath is focused on Atrial Fibrillation ablation as its initial target market. The company’s patented technology involves continuous optical tissue interrogation during ablation procedures. It aims to improve clinical outcomes while reducing procedure times, fluoroscopy exposure, costs, and clinical recurrences. More information about LuxCath can be found on the web at www.luxcath.com, or by calling 617.419.1800.

About Nocturnal Product Development (NPD)
Nocturnal Product Development is a multidisciplinary engineering group with extensive experience in medical device development. Nocturnal possesses not only the range and depth of engineering skills necessary to bring medical devices to market, but also specific clinical, pre-clinical, and market experience that sets it apart from most design services companies. For more about Nocturnal Product Development, visit www.nocturnalpd.com.

About Allied Minds, Inc.
Allied Minds is an innovative U.S. science and technology development and commercialization company. Operating since 2006, Allied Minds forms, funds, manages and builds products and businesses based on innovative technologies developed at leading U.S. universities and federal research institutions. Allied Minds serves as a diversified holding company that supports its businesses and product development with capital, central management and shared services. More information about the Boston-based company can be found at www.alliedminds.com.

Allied Minds Forward-Looking Statement

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