Project Grant R43HL147825

This $2,027,737 Project Grant award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (CFDA 93.837 - Cardiovascular Diseases Research) aims to develop and validate a machine learning-based software tool for optimizing the placement of the MitraClip device to treat mitral regurgitation. The key products to be delivered under this 30-month award include: 1) A dataset of over 5,000 finite element models of the mitral valve and left ventricle, which will be used to predict mitral regurgitation,...

This $250,000 National Science Foundation Engineering (47.041) Project Grant funds the development of a novel annuloplasty ring prototype for minimally invasive mitral valve repair. North Carolina State University will lead an interdisciplinary team to design, 3D print, and test ring structures using magnets for catheter-guided magnetic assembly within pig hearts and tissue phantoms. The compact ring design aims to enable percutaneous delivery and diameter reduction through catheters to...

This Project Grant award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837) provides $298,368 to Link Medical LLC to develop a novel device for treating mitral valve regurgitation. The funded project aims to optimize the device design and procedure through bench testing, followed by in vivo feasibility studies. The goal is to create a simpler, more robust, and more effective solution than existing technologies for...

This $499,103 Project Grant awarded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837) supports Alleviant Medical, Inc. in two key efforts: Implementing high-volume manufacturing capabilities and establishing production readiness for the ALV1 system, a novel transcatheter approach to relieve left atrial pressure in heart failure patients without requiring a cardiac implant. Executing reimbursement and marketing initiatives to...

This federal Project Grant award from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), under the Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health program (CFDA 93.286), provides $1,059,766 to develop a robotic platform for minimally invasive intracardiac tricuspid valve repair. The key objectives are to optimize the robot design for navigation and annuloplasty band deployment, develop magnetic localization and distal force sensing...

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a $455,718 Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Project Grant to Marquette University to develop a living, tissue-engineered heart valve substitute capable of growing with child recipients of congenital heart valve defects. The 5-year project, funded under the NSF Engineering program (CFDA 47.041), aims to create a durable, hydrodynamically functional heart valve using an origami-inspired design and patient-derived cells that can self-repair...

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) awarded a $306,102 Project Grant (CFDA 93.837 - Cardiovascular Diseases Research) to Peca Labs Inc. on August 1, 2025. The grant funds the development and feasibility testing of a novel, fully-polymeric, biomimetic prosthetic mitral valve constructed from clinically-proven materials. The goal is to improve durability, performance, and overall outcomes compared to current biologic and mechanical valve options. Specific aims include...

This Project Grant award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837), provides $395,306 to Cutcath LLC to develop and evaluate a novel electrosurgical catheter device for treating acute aortic dissection. The device, called the Cutcath Dissection Septum Cutting Catheter (DSCC), aims to facilitate more effective endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR/EVAR) by allowing complete fenestration of the aortic dissection septum....

This $834,249 Project Grant award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (CFDA 93.837 Cardiovascular Diseases Research) supports a comparative study of clinical outcomes, patient experiences, and mechanistic insights between transcatheter and surgical treatment of degenerative mitral regurgitation (DMR). The study aims to provide long-term data on clinical effectiveness, safety, and patient-reported outcomes to inform treatment selection and guide patient care. It will also utilize...

This federal Project Grant award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (CFDA 93.837 - Cardiovascular Diseases Research) provides $742,323 to Vanderbilt University to develop a new bioprosthetic aortic valve made from the pulmonary visceral pleura (PVP) tissue. The research aims to demonstrate the PVP valve's superior mechanical durability, calcification resistance, and hemodynamic performance compared to current bioprosthetic valves, in order to improve the long-term durability of...