Summary: APDI and Additional Ventures are soliciting proposals for pediatric heart devices with a $300,000 grant fund. The initiative aims to address the unmet need for child-centric technologies in pediatric cardiology, offering support to innovators developing specialized medical devices.

Key Takeaways:

  • APDI is offering $300,000 in grants for pediatric heart device development.
  • The initiative seeks to address the gaps in current technologies designed for pediatric cardiology.
  • Innovators are encouraged to focus on child-centric designs with potential adaptations for adults.

The Alliance for Pediatric Device Innovation (APDI), a nonprofit consortium led by Children’s National Hospital and funded by the U.S. FDA, announces a partnership with Additional Ventures to solicit proposals and offer grant funding for the development of pediatric devices specifically evaluated and labeled for children with heart conditions.

Unmet Needs in Pediatric Heart Device Development

Additional Ventures is a nonprofit foundation focused on accelerating research progress and improving clinical care for individuals born with single ventricle heart defects. Children with heart conditions face unique challenges that demand specialized 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.

Focus on Child-Centric Technologies

According to APDI, current technologies for pediatric heart patients often fall short because they are typically adapted from adult devices and may not provide the accuracy, safety, or comfort required for children. Areas of special interest include remote patient monitoring systems that can track vital signs and heart function in real-time, wearable devices designed for continuous monitoring, and minimally invasive technologies for cardiac procedures. Through this request for proposals, APDI seeks innovative solutions that address these gaps, offering the potential to transform care for children with heart conditions by developing advanced, child-centric devices.

“Our commitment to advancing pediatric cardiology is stronger than ever. With the launch of this initiative, we are paving the way for innovative pediatric devices that will transform how we monitor and care for children with heart conditions,” said Kolaleh Eskandanian, PhD, MBA, vice president and chief innovation officer at Children’s National and APDI program director and principal investigator. “This proposal allows us to support projects that show promise in advancing novel devices specifically designed for children and support innovators who need funds for the complex process of bringing new technologies to market.”

Design with a Pediatric Focus

When approaching device design for this proposal, Eskandanian added that innovators should start with a pediatric focus because, if the device works for children, it can be adapted for adults. Developing pediatric device solutions requires an individualized approach with a design that accommodates usability for all age groups.

Grant Details and Application Information

The total award fund of $300,000 will be distributed among innovators with the most promising devices as selected by the judging panel. As part of the collaboration, Additional Ventures and APDI will provide winning companies with support services and technical expertise, including but not limited to regulatory, reimbursement, clinical trials study design, and data science services. Interested innovators can learn more and apply for the APDI medical device grant online at innovate4kids.org. The deadline to apply is midnight on September 23.