VoluMetrix, a Nashville-based biotech startup dedicated to creating a new wave of solutions for vital monitoring to enhance well-being, announced that its NIVA|HF device has been designated as a Breakthrough Device by the U.S. FDA.
NIVA|HF is an investigational device designed to monitor the venous waveform, a novel physiologic signal, in heart failure patients, and represents the company’s flagship application for its Non-Invasive Venous waveform Analysis (NIVA) technology. Development of NIVA|HF, which is being prepared for submission for De Novo regulatory clearance, is supported by a Fast-Track grant provided by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and LaunchTN SBIR/STTR Matching Fund Program. As part of the Breakthrough Device program, FDA will work closely with VoluMetrix to advance pre-commercial development of NIVAHF and prioritize the review of subsequent regulatory submissions.
The intended purpose of the NIVA|HF device is to provide a proprietary NIVA Score that corresponds to a pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, or PCWP. Currently, this clinically important value can only be obtained through invasive catheterization of the heart and vasculature. NIVA|HF provides a non-invasive solution in heart failure care — taking this from hospital to home.
“We are thrilled that FDA has recognized NIVA|HF as a Breakthrough Device with important prospective clinical applications,” says Kyle Hocking, PhD, president and CEO of VoluMetrix. “NIVAHF is the culmination of our organization’s talent, intellect, passion, and hard work. It represents the first of many potential vehicles for our NIVA vital monitoring technology, and we look forward to working closely with regulators to expedite its development and regulatory review. Ultimately, our mission is to improve the care experience for as many heart failure patients as possible, as quickly as possible. This designation is a powerful milestone in that journey, and we are grateful for it.”
The NIVA technology represents a major innovation in vital monitoring technology. NIVA was developed to optimize hemodynamic assessment in three key ways: signal capture (using a non-invasive wrist sensor), signal deconstruction (mapping individual amplitudes within a patient’s waveform), and signal decoding.
NIVA technology is investigational and is not available for sale in the United States.
