January 09, 2013 -- Guided Interventions, LLC, a startup company developing a product to help cardiologists better assess the physiological impact of coronary artery blockages, has received a $250,000 investment commitment from nonprofit venture development organization JumpStart Inc. Guided Interventions’ novel fractional flow reserve (FFR) guidewire provides an easier, more effective and more affordable way to obtain FFR measurements during coronary catheterization procedures.
“An FFR measurement determines the best way to treat a coronary artery blockage—whether that entails no intervention, angioplasty or angioplasty plus stenting,” says Guided Interventions’ CEO, Dr. Matthew Pollman. Using FFR measurements improves the precision of these diagnoses, potentially reducing unnecessary procedures and lowering medical costs while improving patient outcomes. “As these measurements increasingly become standard practice, we believe our user-friendly FFR guidewire will be adopted widely,” Pollman says.
FFR guidewires currently available to cardiologists can be difficult to guide through an artery because their powered sensors require significant structural compromises to the interior core of a guidewire. Utilizing a passive sensor, Guided Interventions’ novel guidewire solution is optimized for improved maneuverability and handling. “FFR is a relatively new and somewhat under-utilized diagnostic technology,” says Mike Lang, JumpStart’s Venture Partner. “But thanks to a great product design and a strong management team with extensive experience in medical device development and commercialization, Guided Interventions is in a good position to enter and even lead the growing FFR guidewire market.”
Guided Interventions plans to use the JumpStart investment to complete development and test an initial prototype in relevant animal models. The company also intends to launch and scale its operations in Northeast Ohio within calendar year 2013, especially by hiring engineers. “Northeast Ohio’s resources—including Global Cardiovascular Innovation Center, the SMART Commercialization Center and North Coast Angel Fund—are first-rate,” Pollman says. “Their presence makes the region an appealing place to found and grow our company, and gives us the ability to get traction in the medical device space.”
JumpStart has given intensive business assistance to more than 432 entrepreneurial clients and invested in 68 early stage Northeast Ohio companies since 2004.
GUIDED INTERVENTIONS, LLC
Guided Interventions LLC is a medical device company currently based out of the Great Lakes Innovation and Development Enterprise (GLIDE). Its novel technology helps doctors better assess the physiological impact of coronary artery blockages.
JUMPSTART INC.
JumpStart accelerates the successes of diverse entrepreneurs, their companies and the ecosystems supporting them. For more information on the nonprofit development organization, visit www.jumpstartinc.org and follow @JumpStartInc on Twitter.
