Apica Cardiovascular Ltd.

Article preview from Start-Up - July, 2012

Apica Cardiovascular is leading the field of transapical access and closure for structural heart disease. Its first product is a titanium coil that stabilizes the surgical access site in the apex of the heart to prevent bleeding during and after therapeutic interventions and provides for reaccess in the future. Also in the works are a large closure device for transfemoral access closure and a connector that aids in the delivery and implantation of newer, smaller, left ventricular assist devices through the Apica coil.

Apica Cardiovascular Ltd.

Article preview from Start-Up - July, 2012

Apica Cardiovascular Ltd. came into being in a way that is typical for a medical device company: a surgeon aiming to solve a very specific problem opened up a new field of clinical possibilities.

Two cardiac surgeons from Emory University (Vinod Thourani and Thomas Vassiliades) and two engineers at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Jorge Jimenez and Ajit Yoganathan) put their heads together to improve the technique for implanting apico-aortic conduits in patients with severe aortic stenosis. With some research and development funding from the Georgia Research Alliance VentureLab Program and the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation, a simple concept for accessing, stabilizing and closing the apex of the heart was born.

The device has the potential to far exceed its original purpose, however, since it came to light at just the right time to help solve some challenges in the rapidly growing field of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). More specifically, Dr. Thourani, an experienced TAVI surgeon, was trying to devise a better way to access the left ventricle of the heart while minimizing the complications inherent to this innovative procedure. The original design team modified their initial concept for this application, and in 2009 Apica Cardiovascular was founded.

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