A team of life science entrepreneurs in Houston, TX, has developed the first catheter-deployed circulatory assist device intended for long-term use to treat chronic heart failure. The Aortix™ provides a minimally invasive treatment option for the more than two million chronic heart failure patients who are too sick for medication. This pre-clinical cardiologist tool from Procyrion, Inc., reduces the risks associated with circulatory support devices and enables younger, healthier patients to be treated before progressive damage occurs.
Designed to assist the natural function of the heart, the intra-aortic pump uses integrated technologies as an alternative to large, cumbersome surgical devices currently providing full circulatory support. Aortix accelerates a portion of the body’s native blood flow within the pump and pushes it through fluid entrainment ports directed downstream. The jets entrain native aortic flow, transferring energy to the cardiovascular system and increasing blood flow to vital organs such as the kidneys. Additionally, in a model of chronic heart failure, the device decreased energy consumption of the heart by 39 percent, allowing the heart to operate more efficiently, encouraging cardiac rehabilitation and recovery.