Novel balloon angioplasty inflation device

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute awarded Minnesota Healthsolutions Corporation $329,537 on August 15, 2026, to develop a novel balloon angioplasty inflation device under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837).

The recipient will design and evaluate a prototype inflation device intended to improve safety and efficacy during percutaneous balloon angioplasty by accounting for molecular composition and elasticity differences in arterial tissue. Current market devices do not adequately consider these factors, resulting in excessive stress on artery walls. The proposed device aims to achieve improved luminal area with reduced arterial wall stress during inflation.

Minnesota Healthsolutions Corporation is a woman-owned small business located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The award period runs through August 14, 2027, with work performed in Minneapolis, MN 55414. This is a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research project, which characterizes the award as a high-risk, exploratory stage of technology development focused on feasibility demonstration and commercial potential assessment.

Abstract

We propose the development of a novel balloon angioplasty inflation device for improving the safety and efficacy of balloon angioplasty. Atherosclerosis is associated with coronary artery disease, ischemic stroke and peripheral arterial disease. Percutaneous balloon angioplasty, often in conjunction with stent device deployment, has been associated with prolonged survival, increased quality of life and extended delay of restenosis. There exists great enthusiasm for percutaneous interventions to resolve atherosclerotic symptoms. Balloon inflation devices on the market do not adequately consider the molecular composition of the artery nor do they consider elasticity differences between arterial beds. The proposed project explores a novel technique to promote improved inflation performance during balloon angioplasty, resulting in less stress on the artery wall to achieve the resultant luminal area. A prototype device will be developed and evaluated.