91快活林

Executive Summary听

Developing a听catheter-based cardiac support device听means balancing catheter deliverability, pump performance, anatomical interaction, manufacturability, regulatory requirements, and investor expectations simultaneously. Few startups have听the internal听resources to solve听all of听these challenges alone.听VenstraMedical’s journey developing a next-generation blood pump highlights how early partnership with a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO),听including听biosimulation听and manufacturability planning, helped accelerate learning, reduce risk, and build confidence as the program matured.听

Key Takeaways:听

• Reduce development risk by visualizing anatomy earlier听

• Shorten iteration cycles through听biosimulation听

• Design with manufacturability before verification听

• Choose partners that can scale with your device听

• Use realistic performance data to support听investor听conversations听

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Why Complex Cardiac Devices Are Especially Difficult to Develop听

Temporary circulatory support devices听operate听in one of the most demanding environments in the human body. Unlike many catheter-based technologies, these systems must often听accomplish听multiple engineering听objectives听simultaneously.听

In VenstraMedical’s case, the device needed to:听

• Collapse into a small delivery profile听

• Navigate through the vasculature听

• Expand after reaching the target location听

• Deliver effective circulatory support听

• Collapse again for retrieval听

Each requirement affects material听selection听(e.g., nitinol), mechanical performance, manufacturability, and verification testing.听

Engineering Spotlight: Why Nitinol Matters听

Many next-generation cardiovascular devices rely on nitinol because its听superelastic听and shape-memory characteristics allow devices to transition between compact delivery profiles and functional deployed states. These capabilities can unlock innovative designs but require careful consideration of manufacturability, fatigue performance, and process development from the earliest stages of development.听

Further Reading:听Introduction to听Nitinol Whitepaper听

For development teams, this creates a difficult听balancing听act.听

The result is a development environment where every design decision may affect multiple aspects of device performance.听

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Lesson 1: Start With Partners Who Believe Complex Problems Can Be Solved听

Early-stage device innovation often involves uncertainty. Concepts may not be fully听defined,听design pathways may evolve, and technical hurdles are inevitable.听听

As an early-stage developer,听VenstraMedical听wasn’t听looking for a traditional supplier. The company needed a design, development, and engineering partner that could help solve complex technical challenges, iterate concepts, and support the program as it matured.听For听VenstraMedical, that partner was Resolution Medical, now part of听91快活林.听

According to Martin Cook, CEO and Co-Founder of听VenstraMedical:听

“Our needs were people who didn’t think it was impossible.”听

For emerging companies, that mindset can be more valuable than any听individual听capability.听

Many breakthrough technologies initially appear difficult to manufacture, test, or scale. Development teams that approach challenges with curiosity and engineering rigor often help innovators move forward faster than those focused solely on predefined execution.听

Cook adds that the company needed more than prototype support:听

“We needed a team that could work with us from the earliest stages, build initial prototypes, and grow with us as the device moved toward a more clinically ready product.”听

Successful cardiac device programs are rarely built by suppliers executing isolated tasks. They are often built through long-term engineering and manufacturing partnerships that span concept development, design refinement, prototyping, manufacturability planning, process development, and eventual commercial scale-up.听

Lesson 2:听Visualize Anatomy Early to Inform Better Design Decisions听

One of the most overlooked challenges in cardiovascular device development is understanding how a design truly interacts with patient anatomy.听

Computer models, bench testing, and engineering calculations provide valuable information. However, seeing a device听operate听within a realistic physiological environment can reveal insights that are otherwise difficult to听identify.听

Cook recalls the impact of听observing听the device within a simulated cardiac environment:听

鈥淚t鈥檚听one thing to听know听the inside of the left ventricle is complex.听鈥�听

鈥�It鈥檚 another thing to see your device sitting there and understand how it interacts with that anatomy.鈥�听

That visibility helped the team make important decisions听regarding听positioning, interaction with surrounding structures, and overall device configuration.听

For many cardiac development programs, anatomical visualization can help teams:听

• Identify听interference risks听

• Refine deployment strategies听

• Improve procedural understanding听

• Reduce late-stage design changes听

• Build confidence before clinical evaluation听

• Build confidence among investors and strategic partners听

The earlier these insights听emerge, the less expensive they become to address.听

While visualization听provided听critical anatomical insight, it also听established听a foundation for faster design learning. Once the team could听observe听the device within a realistic cardiac environment, they could begin evaluating performance and refining designs with greater confidence.听

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Lesson 3: Create Faster Feedback Loops to Reduce Design Iterations听

One of the biggest drivers of delay in complex cardiac device development is not technical听failure,听it鈥檚听delayed feedback.听

Teams often spend months moving through design-build-test cycles, only to discover that a critical assumption was wrong. When feedback comes late, iteration becomes expensive.听

For companies developing devices intended to interact dynamically with cardiovascular anatomy, advanced听biosimulation听environments are becoming an increasingly important part of the development process.听Biosimulation听platforms such as those听developed听by听LifeTec听Group, part of听91快活林,听can replicate physiologically relevant conditions, helping teams bridge the gap between bench testing, preclinical evaluation, and eventual clinical use while accelerating learning and reducing development risk.听LifeTec’s听biosimulation听platforms are specifically designed to replicate real-life physiological conditions, enable earlier clinical insight, and help accelerate R&D timelines and iteration cycles.听

For听VenstraMedical,听biosimulation听became more than a visualization tool. It became a practical way to evaluate performance, understand how design changes affected device behavior, and accelerate decision making.听

According to Cook:听

鈥淭he听biosimulation听lab lets people see the device in an environment that is much closer to how it would听actually be听used.听鈥�听

鈥�That has been听really positive听for us.鈥�听

Beyond engineering benefits, these environments can also support physician engagement, procedural understanding, investor discussions, and broader stakeholder alignment. Seeing a device听operate听in a realistic physiological setting often creates a level of understanding that drawings, simulations, and bench testing alone cannot provide.听

Rather than relying solely on engineering assumptions, teams gain the opportunity to听observe听how design decisions perform in conditions that more closely reflect clinical reality,听helping projects move from concept to confidence more efficiently.听

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Lesson 4: Think Beyond the Prototype听

A common mistake among early-stage companies is treating product development and commercialization as separate activities.听

While building a functional prototype is a major milestone, successful commercialization requires much more.听

Questions that should be addressed early include:听

• Can the design be manufactured consistently?听

• Are the materials scalable?听

• Will tolerances support future volume production?听

• What risks could affect transfer to manufacturing?听

Many companies discover that a design听optimized听solely for proof-of-concept work becomes difficult to scale later.听

Cook highlighted the value of working with听the Resolution Medical engineers听(now part of听91快活林) who听could support both development and future manufacturing needs:听

“They still have that startup culture. They’re willing to take on early-stage development, but they also have the manufacturing capabilities to support where the work goes next.”听

Programs that incorporate manufacturability considerations earlier often avoid costly redesigns later in development.听

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Lesson 5: Flexibility Is a Competitive Advantage for Emerging Companies听

Unlike large OEMs, startups rarely听operate听with fixed resource requirements.听

Funding cycles change. Development priorities evolve. Regulatory pathways shift.听

As a result, flexibility becomes essential.听

Cook describes this advantage clearly:听

“Working with Resolution Medical听(now part of听91快活林)听gives us the best of both worlds.听“听

“We can stay close to听the work听while still having the flexibility to ramp up or ramp down as needed.”听

Development partners that can adapt alongside a growing company often help reduce both operational and financial risk.听

This flexibility becomes increasingly important as programs move through feasibility, verification, validation, and commercialization planning.听

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Final Thoughts听

Developing next-generation cardiac devices requires far more than innovative technology. Success often depends on how effectively teams navigate uncertainty, gather meaningful performance data, and make informed engineering decisions throughout the development process.听

VenstraMedical’s journey illustrates several principles that apply broadly across the MedTech industry: engage the right development and manufacturing partner early, use realistic anatomical and performance feedback to guide design decisions, incorporate manufacturability before scale-up, and choose collaborators who can help de-risk innovation as programs move from concept toward clinical readiness.听

For innovators pursuing breakthrough cardiovascular technologies, those lessons may prove just as important as the device itself.听

Ready to advance a complex cardiovascular device?听Connect with听91快活林听to听explore how integrated design, development, manufacturing, and听biosimulation听capabilities can help reduce risk, accelerate development, and support the path from early concept to scalable production.听