Cardiosolutions, Inc. Key US Patent Application for Adjustable "Spacer" Technology to Treat Heart Valve Regurgitation Receives Notice of Allowance

WEST BRIDGEWATER, Mass., Sept. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cardiosolutions, Inc., today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued a Notice of Allowance to grant a key US patent covering the company's proprietary 'spacer' technology for the treatment of regurgitation in incompetent heart valves. The allowed patent underlies the company's innovative Mitra-Spacertm implant technology which is being developed as a minimally invasive approach to treating patients with moderate to severe mitral or tricuspid valve regurgitation, including congestive heart failure patients who are not candidates for surgery.

Cardiosolutions' technology consists of a proprietary catheter delivery system and the Mitra-Spacer. The implant is designed to fill the void created by a dilated annulus or deteriorating valve mechanism by providing a sealing surface for the leaflets of the mitral and/or tricuspid valve, thus reducing the degree of heart regurgitation in patients.

The allowed patent, which includes 18 claims, covers multiple techniques for anchoring, including helical anchoring into heart tissue; securing and releasing a spacer in the heart, functions which are critical to the successful percutaneous delivery and effectiveness of the spacer.   

"Cardiosolutions has been a pioneer in the development of spacer technology to enhance heart valve coaptation and enable the treatment of a broader population of patients with mitral and tricuspid valve regurgitation, either as a bridge to surgery or as a permanent solution," said Michael Benoit, CEO of Cardiosolutions. "The allowed patent recognizes our innovations in this field and builds on the strong intellectual property position we have established in minimally invasive heart valve repair technology." Mr. Benoit noted that the company's intellectual property portfolio includes nearly 20 issued U.S. Patents and another 20 patents pending.

Mitral valve regurgitation is a common, frequently serious condition that is significantly undertreated, as surgical repair remains the principal therapeutic option. Two to three percent of the world's population suffers from mitral regurgitation and approximately 2.3 million patients in the United States and Europe suffer from severe disease. Approximately 500,000 new patients are diagnosed annually with this disease, of which more than 80 percent are untreated. A substantial group of patients have no option because they are too sick to survive the surgery and many others delay treatment because they have only moderate symptoms. The patient population for tricuspid (the "Forgotten valve") regurgitation is 1.6MM people in the United States alone. Approximately 50% of people with mitral regurgitation also have tricuspid regurgitation. Most problematic is that 80 percent of functional tricuspid regurgitation results from left heart failure, leading to excess mortality. Reoperation for severe, isolated tricuspid regurgitation after left side valve surgery is associated with a perioperative mortality rate of up to 25 percent and morbidity is even higher.  

About Cardiosolutions

Cardiosolutions, Inc. is an early-stage company focused on the development of an innovative percutaneous system to treat patients with moderate to severe mitral and /or tricuspid valve regurgitation. The Company is another novel medical device technology incubated within and spun out of Primo Medical Group Inc. (Stoughton MA.) partnering with BioVentures Investors, a leading med-tech venture firm and LivaNova (Sorin Group). The company is based in West Bridgewater MA. Learn more at www.cardiosolutions.com.

Contact: Michael Benoit CEO

[email protected]

SOURCE Cardiosolutions, Inc.