FINDing a More Accurate Needle
March 9, 2017
Medical Research, Press Releases
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center announce the formation of Xact Medical, a new company that will seek to commercialize the Fast Intelligent Needle Delivery (FIND) system.
The FIND system uses robotics and ultrasound to guide and insert a needle into a patient’s body. This is particularly significant for children, whose vascular systems are so small and where precision can be critical. FIND will enhance clinician capabilities for precise, quick and convenient placement of a needle point that significantly improves the odds of successful vascular access on the first try.
Prototype of the Fast Intelligent Needle Delivery (FIND) system
“The fact that up to a third of central placement attempts in kids fail on the first try is unacceptable to us,” says Daniel von Allmen, M.D., surgeon-in-chief at Cincinnati Children’s. “This technology can drastically reduce patient discomfort and procedure time while improving outcomes for children and adults.”
The technology, invented and developed through a collaboration between Cincinnati Children’s and BGU, began with a back-of-the-napkin sketch in 2012 and quickly progressed from an idea to a prototype. Dr. von Allmen and Prof. Hugo Guterman, of BGU’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and technical advisor for Xact Medical, leveraged their combined clinical, research and engineering expertise to identify an unmet need and create a solution that is now the backbone of Xact Medical.
“The launch of Xact Medical and the development of this technology is a great testament to our partnership with Cincinnati Children’s leading to healthcare advances,” says Netta Cohen, chief executive officer of BGN Technologies, BGU’s technology transfer company. “We believe Xact is the first of many high-impact innovations to emerge from this collaboration.”
Xact Medical will initially focus on central line placements in pediatric and adult patients with plans to expand into additional markets, such as biopsy. Immediate next steps for the company include further testing and market research of its prototype, working toward approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
“I believe this technology has significant potential to improve patient outcomes while reducing costs to the healthcare system,” says Andrew Cothrel, chief executive officer of Xact. “We are confident that with the institutional and financial support currently in place, Xact can meet its short- and mid-term goals as we move toward commercialization.”
Initial investors in Xact Medical include Cincinnati Children’s and CincyTech.
ABOUT AMERICANS FOR BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY
By supporting a world-class academic institution that not only nurtures the Negev, but also shares its expertise locally and globally, Americans for Ben-Gurion University engages a community of Americans who are committed to improving the world. David Ben-Gurion envisioned that Israel’s future would be forged in the Negev. The cutting-edge research carried out at Ben-Gurion University drives that vision by sustaining a desert Silicon Valley, with the “Stanford of the Negev” at its center. The Americans for Ben-Gurion University movement supports a 21st century unifying vision for Israel by rallying around BGU’s remarkable work and role as an apolitical beacon of light in the Negev desert.
About Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev embraces the endless potential we have as individuals and as a commonality to adapt and to thrive in changing environments. Inspired by our location in the desert, we aim to discover, to create, and to develop solutions to dynamic challenges, to pose questions that have yet to be asked, and to push beyond the boundaries of the commonly accepted and possible.
We are proud to be a central force for inclusion, diversity and innovation in Israel, and we strive to extend the Negev’s potential and our entrepreneurial spirit throughout the world. For example, the multi-disciplinary School for Sustainability and Climate Change at BGU leverages over 50 years of expertise on living and thriving in the desert into scalable solutions for people everywhere.
BGU at a glance:
20,000 students | 800 senior faculty | 3 campuses | 6 faculties: humanities & social sciences, health sciences, engineering sciences, natural sciences, business & management, and desert research.
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James Fattal, J Cubed Communications
516.289.1496
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