Houston, TX (May 2nd, 2016) - Houston heart pump developer Procyrion Inc. today announced they have won the Medical Device and Diagnostic Imaging (MD+DI) Magazine’s 2016 MedTech Startup Showdown Challenge with their ground breaking technology, Aortix™, a catheter-based circulatory support device. Winning the competition gives Procyrion the opportunity to be featured in an upcoming issue of MD+MI Magazine and they will also receive a free product certification service from TÜV Rheinland.Procyrion’s winning technology, Aortix™ is the first catheter-based heart pump designed specifically for the ambulatory treatment of NYHA Class III-IVa heart failure patients who are too sick for medication alone, but not sick enough for risky surgical interventions (e.g. LVAD or transplant). Thinner than a #2 pencil, the small but powerful micro pump is placed downstream of the heart in a simple cath-lab procedure and works to support heart function by accelerating native blood flow.“All the competing technologies were impressive and it was an honor to be among them,” said Ben Hertzog, CEO Procyrion. “The outpouring of votes and support for Procyrion was certainly humbling, and we’re thrilled to have been chosen the winner of the challenge.”The competition began with MD+MI selecting the top sixteen medical device companies from their pool of applicants to participate in the Startup Showdown. The selected sixteen companies were then entered into the Contest bracket and paired against each other. Readers of UBM’s publications were invited to vote on which company they believe to be more successful based on the information provided by the competing companies during the initial application process. The favored company of each round of the Contest moved on to the next round until one, final winner was selected.“Millions suffer from heart failure each year, and to come out on top week after week during this competition fuels the passion we have for our technology and pushes us closer to our goal of, hopefully, impacting millions of lives,” continued Hertzog.
ABOUT PROCYRION
Houston-based medical device firm Procyrion, Inc. is developing the first catheter-deployed, intra-aortic pump for ambulatory use. The device is designed to rest and heal the heart by reducing afterload while simultaneously improving blood flow to vital organs. This groundbreaking cardiology tool, conceived by cardiologist Dr. Reynolds M. Delgado, III, medical director of Mechanical Support Devices in Heart Failure at the Texas Heart Institute, is expected to provide a minimally invasive treatment option for millions of chronic heart failure patients. For more information, visit www.procyrion.com or call 713.579.9227.