PinMed, a Pittsburgh-based developer of innovative medical-monitoring technologies, has partnered with the National Marine Mammal Foundation (NMMF) on a U.S. Navy contract. The goal is to adapt PinMed’s FDA-cleared wireless cardiovascular monitoring platform (PELEX) for continuous tracking of electrocardiogram (ECG) and physical activity in the Navy’s dolphins.
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The U.S. Navy uses free-swimming dolphins to protect harbors and Navy assets, detect and mark underwater mines, and locate and attach recovery hardware to underwater objects as part of the fleet’s operational Marine Mammal Systems. Cardiac arrhythmias and other cardiovascular diseases are of increasing clinical concern in aging mammals and require continuous ECG monitoring for accurate diagnosis and management. However, currently available monitors cannot be used in the aquatic environment.
“The future of personalized monitoring is wearability, versatility, and AI-driven analytics,” said Vladimir Shusterman, PinMed’s President and Chief Scientist. “PinMed‘s PELEX platform has been designed with that vision, and it has already proven its versatility in the most challenging environments. We are honored to partner with the NMMF, a globally recognized leader in marine mammal science, medicine, and conservation. The ability to monitor ECG and physical activity will be useful not only for dolphins but also for other aquatic animals and human swimmers and divers.”
“PinMed’s monitoring platform is unique in its adaptability, wide range of applications, and ability to be used in a variety of settings, including those with extreme electromagnetic interference, such as MRI,” commented Alan West, Executive-in-Residence at the Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse. “We are excited to see the growth of this important platform, and we are pleased that PinMed continues the strong tradition of medical-device innovation in Pittsburgh.”
PinMed, Inc., is a Pittsburgh-based National Innovation Award-winning medical-device company that develops high-fidelity cardiovascular monitoring and defibrillation solutions to ensure patient safety throughout the continuum of care, including the most challenging environments where conventional systems fail. PinMed’s monitoring platform provides diagnostic 12-lead ECG and long-term ECG monitoring in home and hospital settings, and has recently been adapted for nonobtrusive blood-pressure tracking as well as monitoring in the MRI.