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Cardiola
HCID Member | Medical Devices & Tech
Gruezefeldstr. 51
Winterthur, CH-8404 Switzerland
phone:+41 52 234 6600
fax:+41 52 234 6609
Symbol Private
Founded 2000
Employees 10
www.cardiola.com
Research Sector Medical Devices & Tech
Summary Description
Muscular Counterpulsation (MCP) for Treatment of Chronic Heart Failure
Management
Christof Lenz, CEO; Phil Huber, CFO; Josef Jungert, Vice President Sales; Simone Peschl, Research & Development; Larry Lapanashvili, Founder
Keywords
therapieubersicht, pulsation, fatiguing, skin-friendly, stimulation

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Updated: May 13, 2011

Description
Cardiola offers a CE Mark approved non-invasive, at-home muscular counterpulsation (MCP) therapy. The company's battery-powered device, about the size of a cell phone, stimulates the calves and thighs so they contract counter to the normal heartbeat, thereby increasing blood flow while decreasing cardiac workload.
Products / Services
The cell-phone sized, battery-powered m.pulse is attached to the patient's belt for about 45 minutes per treatment and synchronized to the cardiac cycle to stimulate the muscles of the calves and thighs to make them contract counter to the heart's beating. This well-established counterpulsation action results in increased blood flow to the heart muscle while decreasing the heart's workload. Counterpulsation was previously only available in a clinical setting; m.pulse is the world's first and only device enabling CHF patients to receive MCP therapy at home.
Technology / Differentiation
Cardiac function is essentially divided into two phases: the expulsive phase (systole) and the subsequent filling phase (diastole). MCP respectively stimulates leg or abdominal muscle groups with an electrical pulse right at the start of the filling phase and thus causes them to contract. This harmless, painless and established type of stimulation is also successfully used in a similar fashion in physical therapy.
Market / Customers
Chronic Heart Failure is among the world's most prevalent diseases and the cause of numerous other serious clinical disorders. Approximately 17 million people currently suffer from CHF in Europe, the U.S. and Japan. Some six million of these patients are classified as NYHA (New York Heart Assn.) classes II and III with systolic dysfunction, the primary patient population for m.pulse? with Muscular Counterpulsation from Cardiola. Due to rising life expectancies in the industrialized nations, the number of CHF cases is expected to swell. Cardiola is targeting a market segment currently spending approximately $7 billion each year to treat CHF with medical devices and growing at an annual rate of 18-20 percent.
Strategy
"We have created a 'win/win' situation with m.pulse for both the physician and patient," says Christof Lenz, CEO, former Global Innovation Manager at Siemens Medical. "CHF patients are very difficult to treat. They have co-morbidities and are challenging from a drug-dosage point of view. Drugs have side effects that can act to deter patients' compliance. And while highly invasive procedures may offer hope and relief as CHF progresses, these alternatives are also risky and costly. On the other hand, m.pulse offers patients a well-validated, affordable and non-surgical treatment alternative that they themselves can perform in their own home. In addition to helping patients, m.pulse with Muscular Counterpulsation offers cardiologists an additional source of revenue."
Funding
Cardiola AG announced in April 2009 that it had raised $2.02 million from existing investors. The cash infusion represents the first tranche of an ongoing $7.02 million Series E financing round. The proceeds are being used to commercialize the company's patented device in Europe.
Status
Cardiola's m.pulse? system for at-home treatment of Chronic Heart failure (CHF) is approved for sale in Europe and is now being marketed by the Company.