AUM Cardiovascular, an award-winning Minnesota medical technology startup, is sponsoring a major pivotal study to prove its non-invasive technology can detect obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) just as well as a Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) nuclear stress test.
SPECT is the most common nuclear scanning test for diagnosing problems with blood flow to the heart.
AUM's CADence system is a handheld device, used by a cardiologist, that can quickly spot blockages in blood vessels around the heart after just a few measurements. It uses an algorithm to detect changes in pressure within the blood vessels – changes that could indicate whether those arteries are clogged with plaque.
Marie Johnson, AUM CEO, said CADence is as accurate as a treadmill stress test. Now the study will attempt to prove it.
AUM's clinical study will enroll 729 patients at 15 trial centers across the United States. Dr. Joseph Thomas, an Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, will chair the study.
Founded in 2008, AUM Cardiovascular has raised over $5 million from angel investors. In competition against 1,000 companies, AUM won the 2011 Minnesota Cup, an annual statewide competition for promising startups. AUM was recently named one of the top 10 start-up companies in the world by the Innovations in Cardiovascular Intervention conference in Tel Aviv, Israel. The company is located in Northfield, MN.
For more information, go to aumcardio.com.
