PITTSBURGH, May 17 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded Pittsburgh-based CardiacAssist, Inc. a grant for Phase I feasibility work on a pediatric version of its TandemHeart(R) PTVA(R) System (Percutaneous Transseptal Ventricular Assist). The TandemHeart pVAD(TM) pump is a Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) that increases blood flow and reduces the demands placed on a weakened or damaged heart. This increased blood flow permits patients with acute, life-threatening heart conditions to benefit from reduced stress on their hearts while avoiding potentially permanent damage to their vital organs due to inadequate blood flow.
In announcing the $105,000 grant, Michael Garippa, president and CEO of CardiacAssist, said: “This grant allows the company to potentially expand the market for the PVAD into an important and complimentary area and enables Cardiac Assist to work directly with the primary medical organizations developing an implantable ventricular assist device for children under the auspices of the NIH. If developed, a pediatric version of the TandemHeart could be used to support a pediatric patient in preparation for a surgical intervention or implantation of a long term VAD when it becomes available. In addition, the grant permits CardiacAssist to submit a Phase II application to NIH on completion of the Phase I study.”
David Wang, Ph.D., CardiacAssist’s Systems Engineer, with mentoring and support from the company’s Director of Engineering, Doug Smith, Ph.D., Controller Engineering Manager Kirk Lehmann, and Cannula Engineering Manager Dennis Kopilec, were recognized by Garippa for their substantial efforts in obtaining approval of CardiacAssist’s grant application from the NIH.
The TandemHeart PTVA System has been awarded the CE mark and is approved for use in the European Community and the United States. Formed in 1996 and maintaining headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, CardiacAssist, Inc., designs, develops, and markets unique and proprietary cardiac assist devices to cardiologists and cardiac surgeons.
This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements that relate to CardiacAssist’s future business and financial performance. Such statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual events or future results to differ from those discussed herein.
CardiacAssist, Inc.
CONTACT: Jennifer L. Hanuska, Communications Manager of CardiacAssist,Inc., +1-412-963-7770, ext. 224, info@tandemheart.com; or Langdon Cook of TheDilenschneider Group, +1-212-922-0900, for CardiacAssist, Inc.
