Presym Inc.

Article preview from Start Up - February/March, 2010

Although roughly 80% of all heart disease is attributable to mechanical defects, the medical community relies on ultrasound imaging and other electrical/impedance methods to diagnose heart diseases. While these techniques are valuable for detecting arrhythmias and other electrical disturbances, they are unable to identify biomechanical issues that may develop into serious problems. Presym Inc. is working on a new noninvasive device that uses the trachea as a point of measurement to record all mechanical features of the heart and thus detect diseases before symptoms occur.

Presym Inc.

Article preview from Start Up - February/March, 2010

Although roughly 80% of all heart disease is attributable to mechanical problems such as blockages, impaired valves or congenital structural defects, the medical community relies on ultrasound imaging and other electrical/impedance methods to diagnose heart diseases. While these techniques are valuable for detecting arrhythmias and other electrical disturbances, they are unable to identify biomechanical issues that may develop into serious problems.

Presym Inc. is developing a new noninvasive device that uses the trachea as a point of measurement to record all mechanical features of the heart and thus detect problems before symptoms occur. "The heart and the trachea are coupled – the aortic arch sits on top of the left brachii," says company founder, president, and CEO Tamim Hamid. "In addition, the trachea is a semi-rigid structure made of cartilaginous rings and the heart is similar to an earthquake occurring every second. This 'earthquake' motion or impulse resonates up the trachea with the same fidelity and attenuation as the heart's motion."

Presym's T-Brace is a bandage embedded with a sensor that is placed over the patient's Adam's apple. It generates an electronic signal that translates all cardiac events – including atrial contraction, ventricular contraction, valvular events and ventricular relaxation – beat-to-beat. These signals are also easily converted into nine conventional cardiac metrics: isovolumic contraction, isovolumic relaxation, cardiac output, stroke volume, stroke volume variation, volume status, aortic valve status, mitral valve status and respiration rate.

The T-Brace, which received 510(k) clearance in September 2007 and should begin selling by the end of 2010, will initially target critical care markets, representing a $5 billion opportunity. Presym may eventually develop the technology for operating room, clinic and home use.

Hamid was inspired to start Presym in 2005 when he met a biophysicist from the University of Washington, Seattle, who a few years earlier had intubated a dog and observed that the endotrachial tube was moving not to the breath of the canine, but to the rhythm of the heart. The company has four issued founding patents and does not share royalties/revenues with another entity.

– Bob Kronemyer

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Companies mentioned in this article:

Deltex Medical Sciences Inc.

Edwards Lifesciences Corp.

General Electric Co.

GE Healthcare

Presym Inc.

Royal Philips Electronics NV

Siemens AG

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