Pathfinder Medical’s endoAVF Development Project Receives Innovate UK Grant

August 1, 2023—Pathfinder Medical, a medical device company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, announced it has been awarded a Smart grant by Innovate UK, the national innovation agency.

According to the company, the grant for a £1.1 million (US$1.4 million) project will support Pathfinder’s development of a minimally invasive endovascular arteriovenous fistula (endoAVF) at the wrist for patients with renal failure who require dialysis. The project is to be conducted in collaboration with Professor James Moore, PhD, from Imperial College London.

As noted in the company’s press release, Innovate UK’s Smart grant program provides support to specifically United Kingdom-based small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and, where applicable, any United Kingdom-based partners in developing world-class, genuinely new, and novel ground-breaking innovations designed for rapid, successful commercialization after project completion.

According to the company, the endoAVF procedure has the potential to develop a high-flow venous return with similar performance characteristics of surgically created AVF. The technology may provide a safe, reliable, and cost-effective method for dialysis AVF creation in patients who require hemodialysis, stated the company.

In addition, Pathfinder’s technology may be utilized to access vessels in other anatomical locations and has potential applications in many other interventional procedures that currently require extensive imaging to locate blood vessels.

The Pathfinder ePath catheter technology is an electronic guidance system that facilitates the minimally invasive connection of an artery and a vein at the level of the wrist.

The company stated in the press release that the collaboration between Pathfinder Medical and Imperial College London ensures a multidisciplinary approach, combining cutting-edge development with technical expertise and academic excellence in bioengineering to achieve successful and swift commercialization.

Pathfinder Medical, which is the trading name of Stent Tek Ltd., was founded by CEO Sorin Pop within Imperial College London in 2014.

In the press release, Popa commented, “We are honored to receive the support of Innovate UK in the form of a Smart grant. Our technology has the potential to significantly improve the outcomes for dialysis patients and reduce costs for healthcare systems. Our CTO Dan Brasier, who is the Project Lead, and I are excited to collaborate with Professor Moore’s team at Imperial College London on this project to advance our stent-based next-generation endoAVF solution.”