Echopoint Medical Ltd: Complete Physiology as Easy as FFR

Opportunity Measurement of coronary artery physiology improves patient outcomes, risk stratifies microvascular disease (MVD) and can be highly cost-effective. Comprehensive assessment requires both blood flow and pressure, but only pressure-derived metrics are routinely available (FFR). Contemporary technologies for flow measurement are cumbersome and user-dependant: saline-thermodilution is imprecise and doppler-wires extremely difficult to use. A realistic, user-friendly solution to this major unmet is urgently required.
Product Echopoint Medical is a spin-out from UCL, London, commercialising a series of novel optical sensing technologies. The first will be the iKOr™ Rx coronary microcatheter, delivered over any workhorse 0.014” guidewire to provide pressure (FFR, resting indices) and flow (e.g.CFR, IMR) with a solid-state sensor (no saline injection). The extreme low-profile microcatheter, straightforward console UI plus workflow provides key metrics with a negligible training requirement.
Medical SignificanceWithout any measurement of microvascular function, pressure-wires give a limited picture of coronary function. A positive diagnosis (e.g. MVD) can be missed, apparent diagnostic/symptom discrepancies become a source of clinical uncertainty. The iKOr™ will simplify measurement: “CFR/FFR/flow as easy as iFR”, give definitive diagnoses, and in turn enable precise therapy. The precise and prompt diagnoses of MVD will catalyse the adoption of therapies, a particular role in emergent (esp. MINOCA/INOCA) management is likely, early assessment of the microvasculature provides strong metric which can influence treatment decisions.
Target Markets Building on the >US$500M market for pressure wires, a specific opportunity exists for hitherto underserved subgroups affected by INOCA syndromes, notably women and patients with diabetes.
Team The Echopoint Medical team is lead by Antony Odell (Exec. Chair, formerly CEO of Tissue Regenix); Malcolm Finlay (CMO & Cardiologist, Barts Heart Centre) & Adrien Desjardins (CTO & Professor Bioengineering, UCL). A >$3M seed round has brought on board engineering, regulatory and operations experts to bring the iKOr™ device to patient benefit.