Heartfelt innovations: heart tech startups this Valentine’s Day

Valentine's Day is an occasion when hearts begin to race as we prepare for feelings of love – whether that's with your Valentine or your Galentine! This year, we are shining a light on the startups on a mission to keep the beat steady by focusing on heart health – ensuring that it'll be fluttering for years to come.

Acorai

Acorai is a Swedish startup developing a device for heart failure management through non-invasive cardiac and pulmonary pressure sensing to help reduce hospitalisations and re-admissions.

The Acorai Heart Monitor has clinically demonstrated accuracies equal to the invasive gold standards in a 200-patient feasibility study. The non-invasive intracardiac pressure monitoring device aims to improve heart failure management for over 64 million patients worldwide.

To use the device, the Acorai Heart Monitor is placed on the upper chest of a patient laying down to capture sensor data for a few minutes. The on-device machine learning models assess the data, and the resulting cardiac insights are displayed on the screen. Acorai’s patented SAVE Sensor System received FDA Breakthrough Device Designation in 2023, enabling Acorai’s participation in the FDA Total Product Life Cycle Advisory Program (TAP) Pilot.

BiVACOR

BiVACOR is a Houston-based medtech startup that has created the BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart (TAH), which is designed to replace the function of both ventricles in patients with severe biventricular heart failure. The TAH is a titanium-constructed, biventricular rotary blood pump with a single moving part – a magnetically levitated rotor – that pumps blood to both the systemic and pulmonary circulations.

The BiVACOR TAH uses magnetic levitation technology to suspend the rotor, eliminating friction and mechanical wear, which enhances blood compatibility and durability. The device is designed to be small and compact, which is around the size of an adult’s fist, to make it suitable for a wide range of patients.

FineHeart

FineHeart is a French medical device company developing the Implantable Cardiac Output Management System (ICOMS), also known as the ICOMS FLOWMAKER. The fully implantable, intraventricular flow accelerator is designed to provide physiological support synchronised to the heart's natural flow and contractility, aiming to treat patients with severe heart failure.

The ICOMS FLOWMAKER is implanted via beating heart surgery into the left ventricle. It features an implanted intelligent controller that is fully adjustable to a patient’s needs, an epicardial lead to synchronise the pump providing pulsatility, and is charged via a wireless transcutaneous energy transfer system.

LiveMetric

LiveMetric is a medical device startup specialising in wearable technology for continuous blood pressure monitoring. The company's flagship product, LiveOne, is a wrist-worn, cuff-free device that provides real-time blood pressure measurements every 10 seconds. Utilising nano-sensor technology, LiveOne continuously extracts the pressure waveform from the radial artery without the need for external calibration.

LiveOne has been clinically validated for accuracy, with measurements highly correlated to arterial line readings. The device also tracks heart rate, heart rate variability, and steps taken, offering comprehensive cardiovascular monitoring. Data collected by LiveOne can be electronically transmitted to medical record systems, enabling healthcare providers to deliver personalised, real-time care.

MedBeat

MedBeat, a Malmö-based startup, has developed a modern, user-friendly, and non-invasive device that measures electrocardiogram signals anytime and anywhere. The small device, once attached to the user's chest, is able to monitor and record cardiac activity without interruptions for at least seven days, providing comprehensive medical insight and clinical accuracy.

MedBeat's technology aims to make cardiac healthcare accessible by combining flexibility, comfort, and accuracy into a single device. By shipping the small, user-friendly device directly to users, MedBeat offers its service to customers, catering to a broad demographic, including the elderly, professional athletes, and individuals with chronic illnesses.

Vectorious

Vectorious Medical Technologies is a Tel Aviv based startup which has developed the V-LAP system, the world's first in-heart microcomputer designed to monitor left atrial pressure (LAP) in heart failure patients. The V-LAP sensory implant is a digital, wireless, battery-less device that communicates from within the body, providing actionable feedback based on high-resolution waveform morphology from the heart's left atrium.

The V-LAP system enables heart failure patients to better control their disease by remotely monitoring LAP to detect fluid accumulation in the earliest stages, before any obvious physiological symptoms. A patient app further empowers individuals to self-titrate medication in real-time based on data extracted from the heart.

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