Simple Device Spares Patients From Heart Surgery

A simple device developed in Israel will spare patients the need for invasive, costly, and dangerous open heart surgery. 

Cuspa Medical has developed an artificial cusp that attaches to the heart’s valve – which opens and closes to let blood flow from one area of the heart to the next, and in the correct direction. 

Typical treatment options for valvular heart disease – when a person’s heart valves can no longer fully open or close – include medication, surgery to repair the valve or surgery to replace the valve, both of which are invasive procedures with long rehabilitation times.

Cuspa’s simple device – known as the Cusper – reduces the backflow of blood to the heart’s chamber. 

The artificial cusp is attached to the heart valve with a metal grasper. Unlike open heart surgery, the procedure is minimally invasive, using a catheter through the groin.

The device is pushed out of the sheath and is directed to the desired location. It grasps the valve and keeps it open at the original size, and when the valve closes, the device ensures there is no opening and prevents leaks. 

The Cusper is currently being tested for safety and efficacy in large animals. It has two international patents pending approval in North America, Europe, and Asia. 

When a person’s heart valves are damaged or diseased, not enough blood can be pushed forward through the heart to the rest of the body, and it leaks back into the chamber it came from.

If left untreated, patients will suffer from symptoms including chest pain, fatigue, shortness of breath, and ultimately heart failure.

Cuspa Medical was founded in 2019, and is headquartered in Nazareth, Israel.