CroíValve is a potentially life-saving device that can be implanted with a less invasive technique in the hearts of patients who have Tricuspid Regurgitation (TR), a common heart valve disorder. CroíValve is safer, more effective, less traumatic and easier to deliver than competing technologies, as has been proven through extensive pre-clinical testing supported by EIT Health.

Origins

Dr. Martin Quinn, a consultant cardiologist, completed the first Irish transcatheter aortic valve replacement in 2008. Seeing this transformational technology change patients’ lives, he investigated solutions for the mitral and tricuspid valves.

With a focus on simple, safe solutions to support the native heart valve leaflets, he developed a number of concepts that led to the CroíValve innovation for the treatment of TR. The first phase of the R&D programme was funded by Enterprise Ireland and hosted in Trinity College Dublin’s Trinity Centre for Bioengineering.

Team

Dr Lucy O’Keeffe (CroíValve’s CEO) has brought multiple medical devices from concept to market launch. Dr. Martin Quinn, a leading interventional cardiologist, is widely published and has authored multiple patents. Dr Paul Heneghan is a PhD-level engineer with a strong background in medical device design, and Prof. Bruce Murphy leads the medical device development incubator in Trinity College Dublin.

The project

The CroíValve solution promises to improve the outlook for patients with TR. This project has proven the effectiveness of CroíValve through extensive pre-clinical testing – including bench and pre-clinical testing – supported by EIT Health funding and conducted in collaboration with EIT Health partners.

TR occurs in heart failure patients due to tricuspid valve dilation. It is a severe cardiac disease with progressive symptoms, eventually leading to heart failure and death. Patients with severe TR are four times more likely than the average person to die in the next year. Because the vast majority of patients are elderly and too frail for the existing type of surgery used, less than 1% of patients receive surgical treatment. The primary treatment method is medical management with diuretics.

CroíValve’s solution is far less invasive: it is delivered through a vein into the heart and restores the function of the tricuspid valve, while preserving the native anatomy. An innovative adjustable anchor holds it in position without the use of traumatic hooks or barbs. Delivery is straightforward, safe and effective, and the device will be suitable for a broad cohort of patient anatomies.

Impact

CroíValve will transform the standard of care for these patients. The innovation will have the following impacts:

• Patients: improved and extended quality of life, reduced hospital length-of-stay.
• Physicians: simple, safe treatment option using conventional techniques.
• Healthcare systems: reduced hospitalisations with a procedure that fits into existing scheduling constraints.
• Payers: reduced peri-operative and post-operative costs.

Why this is an EIT Health project

EIT Health is proud to support this project, which brings together several of our partners to create an innovation that can transform the lives of patients suffering from TR. This project is in keeping with the EIT Health Focus Area of “Care Pathways” because it provides an innovative health delivery solution that is a dramatic improvement on the existing practice.

External Partners

• Nordson
• Tissx