Conavi Medical Inc. has attracted more than $20 million to help fund the marketing and commercialization of its Novasight Hybrid System.

“This funding is a testament to the potential the Novasight Hybrid System has on a global scale. It provides the company with the runway to reach important operational and commercial milestones as we drive the value proposition of this innovative system,” said Thomas Looby, CEO, Conavi Medical.

The company’s Novasight Hybrid System is a new imaging platform designed for interventional cardiologists to use during common minimally invasive heart procedures. This patented technology—according to Conavi Medical—is the first and only clinical system to enable simultaneous and co-registered imaging of coronary arteries with both intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT).  
 
Angioplasty and stenting are performed more than 4 million times globally every year as a part of the treatment of coronary artery disease, including for those patients suffering from heart attacks and angina. Recent randomized studies with existing IVUS systems have shown that intravascular imaging has the potential to significantly improve clinical outcomes during angioplasty and stenting.
 
“By combining the two most commonly used imaging modalities—ultrasound and OCT—our system provides a comprehensive assessment of coronary arteries, which is useful for determining the size of the artery as well as both the nature and extent of the plaque” said Dr. Brian Courtney, chief medical officer and co-founder, Conavi Medical. “A number of studies from around the world are consistently demonstrating that intravascular imaging improves procedural results in percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) and its use is growing. Hybrid imaging with IVUS and OCT will play an important role in this growth through its synergistic versatility in a wide range of coronary interventions and potential for greater ease and consistency of interpretation.”

The company also is hoping to raise an additional $10 million toward its Novasight commercialization efforts.  
 
Novasight Hybrid System has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and approval from Health Canada, and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) in Japan.
 
Conavi Medical Inc. is a privately-held company that designs, manufactures, and markets imaging technologies to guide common minimally invasive cardiovascular procedures.