Breakthrough in device therapy for patients with late-stage heart disease
Calon Cardio-Technology and Leviticus-Cardio announce the joint development and testing of a wireless, fully implantable, long-term blood pump
A compact, fully implantable VAD (FiVAD) has been successfully implemented by combining the Calon Cardio MiniVAD with the versatile, fully implantable wireless energy recharging system of Leviticus Cardio. Completion of a 60-day in-vivo pre-clinical study of this FiVAD has successfully validated the integration of these two innovative technologies.
The new disruptive technology, FiVAD, will allow a patient a full day without a cable or connection to any external equipment whatsoever. The recharging process itself only requires a light belt around the patient’s chest during the night. The successful elimination of the electric power cable is a major step forward leading to a near-normal quality of life for these severely ill patients. It will convince physicians around the world that VAD therapy has reached the point of routine use and will lead to the widespread application of this life-saving therapy.
The trial was conducted at the internationally recognised Centre of Excellence at the Catholic University of Leuven, in Belgium. The success of this ground-breaking study marks a further step in the integration of the two companies that are committed to taking this life-changing innovation in partnership with patients across the globe.
Stuart McConchie, CEO, Calon Cardio-Technology, “The combination of our MiniVAD, designed to optimize blood handling, and the Leviticus wireless technology provides a safe and usable truly wireless VAD system, representing major progress in blood pump technology. Together this FiVAD will significantly improve the lives of vast numbers of late-stage heart failure patients.”
Michael Zilbershlag, CEO, Leviticus Cardio, “Our study has demonstrated that the combination of the very effective Calon MiniVAD and the Leviticus FiVAD offers for the first time a fully functioning heart pump without the need to be recharged for more than 10 hours allowing freedom from any external equipment for a whole working day.”
Marc Clement, Chairman of Calon Cardio-Technology, “I am sure I speak for both companies when I say how delighted we are with the outcome of the integration of our respective ground-breaking technologies. We are committed to a long-term relationship that will improve the quality of life of thousands of patients across the world.”
“The successful 60-days preclinical milestone of the MiniVAD and FiVAD platform poses an encouraging accomplishment in further integration of these two innovative technologies,” states Professor Ivan Netuka, Cardiac Surgeon, a Chairman in the Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine (IKEM), Prague, Czech Republic.
