Summary: Children’s National named 10 pediatric cardiology innovators competing for $300,000 in grants at the “Make Your Medical Device Pitch for Kids!” on October 14 in Toronto, hosted by the Accelerating Innovation in Pediatric Devices (AIPD) Consortium and Additional Ventures.

Key Takeaways:

  • The competition provides up to $50,000 in grant funding and expert services for finalists developing pediatric cardiology devices.
  • There is a significant unmet need for pediatric heart-specific devices, with the competition addressing this gap by supporting innovations tailored for children.

Children’s National Hospital named the 10 medical technology innovators focused on pediatric cardiology have been selected to compete for $300,000 in grants in the “Make Your Medical Device Pitch for Kids!” competition on October 14 in Toronto.

Competition Organized by APDI and Additional Ventures

The competition is presented by the Alliance for Pediatric Device Innovation (APDI), a nonprofit consortium led by Children’s National Hospital and funded through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Additional Ventures, a nonprofit focused on accelerating research progress and improving clinical care for individuals born with single ventricle heart defects. Selected by an internal committee, ten finalists will compete for up to $50,000 each in grant funding and opportunities to access support services and technical expertise provided by APDI and Additional Ventures, including engineering, regulatory, reimbursement, clinical trials study design, and data science services.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 40,000 children are born annually with a congenital heart defect. Children with heart conditions need medical devices tailored to their specific physiological needs. There is a significant unmet need for pediatric devices designed to monitor and treat young patients effectively in cardiology, interventional cardiology, cardiac surgery, and electrophysiology. This competitive grant program is designed to identify and support the development and commercialization of devices that can address these needs.

Finalists in the Competition

The following finalists will compete in the cardiology edition of the “Make Your Medical Device Pitch for Kids!” competition:

  • Bloom Standard, Minneapolis, Minn. – Autonomous, hands-free ultrasound
  • Compremium AG, Bern, Switzerland – Noninvasive central venous pressure estimation for pediatric patients
  • Kardio Diagnostix, Halifax, Nova Scotia – Artificial intelligence-driven heart auscultation platform
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass. – Polymeric auxetic stent to treat pediatric aortic coarctation
  • OxiWear, Arlington, Va. – Home measurement of oxygen levels in pediatric congenital heart disease
  • PyrAmes Inc., Cupertino, Calif. – Improved, wearable noninvasive pediatric blood pressure monitor
  • Rhaeos, Evanston, Ill. – Wireless noninvasive sensors to continuously monitor cardiac output
  • SeeMedX, Las Vegas, Nev. – Noninvasive, continuous hemodynamic monitoring
  • Sibel Health, Chicago – Hospital-to-home monitoring for pediatric heart conditions
  • University of California, Irvine, Calif. – Humanitarian device exemption for growth-accommodating IRIS TPVR system

Addressing the Market Failure in Pediatric Device Development

“There’s a profound market failure in the development of medical devices for pediatric heart patients,” said Kolaleh Eskandanian, PhD, MBA, vice president and chief innovation officer at Children’s National Hospital, and program director and principal investigator of the APDI. “Not only are existing technologies often suboptimal adaptations of adult devices—lacking in accuracy, safety, and comfort for children—but in many cases, essential pediatric-specific technologies are entirely absent. This program empowers us to address this critical void by supporting the creation of innovative devices designed exclusively for children, providing the necessary funding and expertise to help innovators successfully navigate the complex journey of bringing new pediatric devices to market.”

The competition is a highlight of the 12th Annual Symposium on Pediatric Device Innovation, presented by Children’s National on Oct. 14. The symposium, which co-locates with The MedTech Conference powered by AdvaMed, brings together industry-leading experts from across the medical technology sector for multidisciplinary panel discussions focused on critical issues in pediatric device development, regulatory and reimbursement processes, device clinical trials, and pediatric healthcare innovation gaps.