APEX Medical Completes Successful Initial Animal Tests of Its Totally Implantable Blood Pressure Sensor; Critical Component Helps Assure Long-term Reliability of Heart Assist Devices.Business/Technology Editors NOTE TO MEDIA: Photo is available in a Smart News Release(TM) on Business Wire's Home Page at www.businesswire.com EAST WALPOLE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 5, 2000 APEX Medical, Inc., a medical device company, today announced it has successfully completed initial animal tests of its totally implantable blood pressure device that will optimize operations of Left Ventricular Assist Devices left ventricular assist device Cardiology A mechanical device to ↑ force and volume of blood flowing through the heart. Cf CABG, Jarvik-7. (LVADs). The company said the device is the only known blood pressure monitor in development designed to be fully integrated with an LVAD LVAD left ventricular assist device; see ventricular assist device, under device. to assure direct, continuous measurement of blood pressure. James E. Sluetz, CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of APEX Medical, said recently completed, successful in-vitro and in-vivo animal tests were a critical milestone in the company's full-scale effort to complete development on what is expected to be the world's first totally implantable, flow-through blood pressure monitor. "While rapid strides are being made in the development of a new generation of LVADs, most lack a direct means of determining pre-load for these pumps and typically have to rely on interpreting motor parameters," Sluetz said. "Our monitor enables LVADs to adjust pumping rates to meet the patient's need, depending on patient activity level, whether the patient is sleeping, awake or exercising. It's a major step forward." APEX Medical is developing the technology that will give LVADs the added dependability and portability that will allow them to become an everyday medical device and extend the lives of possibly millions of people. An LVAD is used to treat congestive heart failure congestive heart failure, inability of the heart to expel sufficient blood to keep pace with the metabolic demands of the body. In the healthy individual the heart can tolerate large increases of workload for a considerable length of time. by working alongside a weakened heart, helping by pumping blood from the left ventricle left ventricle n. The chamber on the left side of the heart that receives the arterial blood from the left atrium and contracts to force it into the aorta. . Five million Americans suffer from congestive heart failure today and 400,000 more are diagnosed with the disease each year, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. APEX Medical. However, only about 2,500 hearts are available each year in the US for transplant, and as the population ages the incidence of heart disease is expected to increase. "It is widely believed that while up to 50,000 people could possibly benefit from a heart transplant heart transplant Procedure to remove a diseased heart and replace it with a healthy one from a legally dead donor. The first was performed in 1967 by Christiaan Barnard. each year, not all of them may be suitable transplant candidates," explained Sluetz. "The only viable, widespread solution that eases end-stage congestive heart failure by improving the quality of the patient's life is a fully implantable cardiac assist device. Blood pressure sensing and monitoring technology is a critical component for the long term implantation of such devices." About the APEX Medical Pressure Sensor The APEX Medical blood pressure sensing and monitoring system incorporates a flow-through design with zero dead volume, thereby significantly reducing potential thrombus thrombus /throm·bus/ (throm´bus) pl. throm´bi a stationary blood clot along the wall of a blood vessel, frequently causing vascular obstruction. formation. APEX Medical's proprietary sensing technology, transparent to the patient's blood, avoids the use of new blood contacting materials. The advanced technology incorporated into the APEX Medical pressure sensor enables LVADs to operate using critical physiologic control information. Among other benefits, the pressure monitor protects the left ventricle from collapsing and allows LVAD pumping rates to adjust to patient activity levels, whether he/she is sleeping, awake, or exercising. Made of titanium (see photo of prototype), the device was developed as a joint venture between APEX Medical and The East Developement Group, Inc. in part with funding awarded by the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology/Advanced Technology Program, following a national competition. About APEX Medical APEX Medical, Inc., founded in 1996 and based in East Walpole, Mass., is a medical device company that develops new technologies to address the therapeutic and monitoring market segments of chronic heart disease. In 1997, the company received a $1.5 million matching grant matching grant Academia Non-peer-reviewed funding in which a commercial enterprise, foundation, or philanthropy, federal government, contributes a sum of money that 'matches' a financial contribution made by an institution, university or hospital. from the National Institute of Standards and Technology National Institute of Standards and Technology, governmental agency within the U.S. Dept. of Commerce with the mission of "working with industry to develop and apply technology, measurements, and standards" in the national interest. to develop a long-term, implantable, pressure monitoring system. Investors in APEX Medical include Crescent Capital, Mayo Medical Ventures, Venture Investment Management Company, and Zero Stage Capital. Note: A Photo is available at URL URL in full Uniform Resource Locator Address of a resource on the Internet. The resource can be any type of file stored on a server, such as a Web page, a text file, a graphics file, or an application program. :http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/photo.cgi?pw.060500/bb8 |
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