Two biomed start-ups, iNTERLOMED and Cartesia Dx, received funding this month from the Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse (PLSG), the private and public partnership that nurtures promising life science companies in the region.
PLSG gave $100,000 to iNTELOMED to help with clinical testing and development of CVInsight(TM), a non-invasive medical device that improves upon the current practice of using vital signs as a broad predictor of a patient’s health. The CVInsight assessment is performed using a stress test created from a passive leg raise, a proven and better way to conduct a safe cardiovascular "stress" measurement to assess cardiovascular instability. The technology has the potential to provide clinicians with a more straightforward, objective assessment when identifying an at-risk versus a low-risk patient in an ICU.
Another $180,000 goes to Cartesia Dx, formerly Arthritis Imaging, Inc., developers of a unique combination of three-dimensional and thermal images to more accurately diagnose and track the presence and progression of inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Compared with other imaging modalities, such as X-ray and MRI, the Cartesia Dx technology can be used in an office setting, poses no radiation risk, and can be performed in minutes. The technology may have application to other surface skin diseases such as osteoarthritis, diabetes, and skin cancers such as melanoma.
John W. Manzetti, president and CEO of the PLSG, says, “We are building momentum in the entrepreneurial community and introducing impressive technology into the marketplace. All in the name of improved patient care.”
Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Lynn Brusco, PLSG
Image courtesy of PLSG