Medical University of Vienna spin-off develops new suturing device for aortic surgery
Aortic Technologies GmBH, a promising spin-off of the Medical University of Vienna, is making great progress in the development of an innovative suturing device for aortic surgery, specially designed for performing anastomoses in aortic dissections.
The new device was developed by an interdisciplinary team consisting of two doctors (Marek Ehrlich and Emilio Osorio from the Department of Cardiac and Thoracic Aortic Surgery) and an engineer (Ewald Unger, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering). The close collaboration between the team members has made it possible to create a highly precise and functional concept that not only shortens the operation time, but also significantly improves the quality of the sutures. These are much tighter than conventional sutures, which are stitched by hand.
Foundation and successful financing
Investors Hans Peter Haselsteiner and Aczél Zoltán were won over very early on for the new technology and the foundation of a young company based on it. Thanks to their financial support, Aortic Technologies GmbH is able to ensure the completion and testing of the medical device.
"The support of our investor is a decisive factor in further optimising the prototype and ultimately mastering approval and series production. I am therefore confident that we will soon be able to improve efficiency in the operating theatre and significantly reduce operating times with this device," explains Marek Ehrlich, one of the inventors and founders.
Patents and intellectual property (IP)
Protecting intellectual property by means of patents was and is an important step on the way to commercialising the technology. "These patents now help to protect the spin-off on the international market and thus strengthen its position," says Michael Hoschitz from MedUni Vienna's Technology Transfer Office (TTO), who is responsible for IP protection and commercialisation and has been involved in this project from the very beginning.
Cooperations with a large MedTech company
Successful tests of the prototype have aroused the interest of one of the largest medtech companies in this field. The spin-off is already in talks with the company, which is being considered as a partner and potential buyer of the spin-off.
The next phase involves conducting studies with the new suturing device and obtaining approval for the device.
The researchers involved are optimistic that the suturing device will make the leap onto the international market and be used successfully in aortic surgery in the future.