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Imperial spin-out pioneering an automated blood pressure monitor raises £1.5m

Investment firm Touchstone Innovations has continued its 2017 investment streak after announcing it has provided £1.5m in seed funding to Cardian Limited.

The new Imperial College London spin-out company is looking to commercialise an implantable device which it claims can improve the monitoring and treatment of patients who have suffered cardiac failure.

Its wireless pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) sensor provides continuous, wireless monitoring of blood pressure in the pulmonary artery, with readings displayed on a portable reader in real-time 24 hours a day, providing significant benefits over the current approach of fine-tuning therapy doses based on the self-reporting of symptoms.

The seed investment comes as Cardian puts the finishing touches on its senior executive team as it begins working towards commercialisation, with former Chief Operating Officer of Cardiomems, Sandeep Yandav, recently joining as Chief Executive Officer.

Meanwhile, Dr Christopher McCleod, who co-founded the company alongside Dr Mohammad Reza Bahmanyar, and Dr Longfang Zou, has become the firm’s non-executive Director.

Dani Bach, Director of Healthcare Ventures, Touchstone Innovations, described Cardian as a ‘classic’ Imperial spin-out which will capitalise on over a decade of academic research by Dr McCleod.

He commented: “Our Technology Transfer Office, Imperial Innovations, has been supporting the founders for many years, working with the team on IP protection and market evaluation, and helping to secure initial funding, which enabled them to develop prototypes in an academic setting.

“We are assembling a strong management team to commercialise this compelling technology, which combined with the expertise of the founding academics, gives us a great opportunity to help to create a new company that could significantly impact the lives of millions of sufferers of cardiac failure.”

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