Realheart Part of Vinnova Project for Cordless TAH Technology

Press Release, 8 June 2023

Invivopower has been granted EUR 80,000 from Vinnova to further develop its patented technology for transcutaneous energy transfer in collaboration with Scandinavian Real Heart. The project runs from June 2023 to May 2024.

''This does not affect our short-term timeline but gives us a great head start in a future development of the next generation of Realheart TAH. We remain on track with the goal of initiating clinical trials in 2024'', said Ina Laura Perkins, CEO of Realheart.

All of today's artificial hearts and other heart pumps are powered by a cable that connects the implanted pump to an energy source outside the body (driveline). Driveline infections are the most common type of heart pump-associated infections because the driveline exit point creates a conduit for bacteria. Invivopower's solution is instead based on an energy link that transfers energy without breaking the protective skin barrier.

Vinnova, Sweden's innovation agency, has awarded €80,000 in grant funding to Invivopower to develop a platform for the implementation of transcutaneous energy transfer technology (TET), that can be used by companies that develop heart pumps. Realheart will contribute with hardware and software development as well as market validation.

''Realheart is one of the most advanced companies in the world in developing an artificial heart. This project gives us a unique opportunity to put our technology in the hands of our customer early on, thereby gaining invaluable feedback that allows us to focus on the right things in developing a competitive product,'' Bengt Bern, CEO and founder of Invivopower, said.

''We are very grateful that Vinnova makes collaborations like this possible. Wireless transfer of energy/charging is certainly something that we want to implement in Realheart TAH in the future, and through this project we get access to a prototype that is also based on our own technology'', said Realheart's CEO Ina Laura Perkins.

Heart failure is one of the most common causes of death in the world, and the artificial hearts available have too many shortcomings to make a serious impact as a treatment option. Realheart TAH is being developed to overcome these obstacles while increasing the quality of life for patients. Realheart therefore already has a longer battery life and a thinner power cable.