FineHeart seeks to beat LVAD for heart failure
Technology: ICOMS (Implantable Cardiac Output Management System)
Unmet need: Widen the scope of patients suitable for heart failure intervention
The ICOMS is a hybrid between an electrical and a mechanical device – a pulsatile smart pump, fully implantable and wirelessly powered, synchronized to the heart’s innate contraction. It is intended for long-term circulatory assistance in severe heart failure patients.
FineHeart was founded by a team of international cardiac surgeons and cardiologists, led by Dr. Stéphane Garrigue (ICOMS inventor) and Dr. Philippe Ritter (co-inventor of cardiac resynchronization therapy).
The device is intended to offer an alternative to left-ventricle assist devices (LVADs), which are large, cause substantial myocardial damage, and are subject to infection and thrombosis risk. Because of these risks, only Class IV on the New York Heart Association (NYHA) scale who are still well enough to handle the open-heart implantation are candidates for LVADs. That narrow population leaves a large unmet need: Heart failure is the second leading cause of death in the US and in Europe and causes repeated and extended hospitalizations.
FineHeart’s goal is to initially address NYHA Class IV patients and ultimately to expand to the NYHA Class III population in whom ICOMS could potentially slow progression of HF and in some, possibly lead to patient recovery by allowing the myocardium to rest and recover.
