Project Grant R61HL183026

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute awarded MDC Studio, Inc. $309,813 on September 1, 2026, under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837) to develop an automated vascular access device that enables less-experienced providers to safely and reliably perform central venous and arterial cannulation.

The R61 phase focuses on automating the core steps of successful cannulation. MDC Studio will design, construct, and test sensors and automation to detect blood vessel puncture, distinguish artery from vein, and advance a guidewire into the vessel; the first milestone requires successful identification and cannulation of porcine femoral artery and vein in vivo in more than 8 out of 10 attempts with a guidewire. The recipient will then design, construct, and test a catheter system to cannulate the target vessel automatically; the second milestone requires demonstration of detection and successful cannulation of porcine artery and vein in vivo in greater than 4 out of 5 attempts with a catheter, completing the R61 phase. The R33 phase will involve designing and engineering a sterile, patient-specific, disposable cassette to interface with the reusable device base unit and beginning the regulatory process for FDA submission.

Work is performed in Baltimore, Maryland. The period of performance runs from September 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028. This is a Project Grant, a form of assistance funding supporting small-business-led development of cardiovascular technologies.