Making medical devices that address the challenge of delivering safe care to patients is standard procedure at the Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering (IBBME). Just ask Professor Paul Santerre, IBBME Director, who developed Endexo Technology through his spin-off company, Interface Biologics Inc (IBI).

In July, IBI announced that the largest provider of dialysis products, Fresenius Medical Care, would apply the company’s Endexo Technology to dialysis circuits for treating end-stage renal disease.

Now, Navilyst Medical has launched BioFlo, a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) that uses Endexo in five clinical centres in Canada. The U.S. will launch BioFlo in early 2012.

Endexo is a self-locating fluoro-oligomeric additive that reduces platelet adhesion and activation, protein adsorption and thrombus formation. Endexo is present on all surfaces of the BioFlo PICC and remains present for the life of the catheter. It also reduces the need for anti-coagulants, such as herapin, which patients may adversely react to, or antibiotics that may be associated with bacterial resistance.

“Endexo products are now in young neonatal children at Canadian hospitals, including the Ottawa Civic Hospital and other centres in Canada,” said Professor Santerre. “Interface Biologics is only one of the 16 current IBBME start-up companies. Imagine the impact that awaits the healthcare market from this great Institute.”

Technology transfer is a priority at IBBME. With the assistance of MaRS, the Centre for the Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine, and the U of T Innovations and Partnership Office, innovative technologies and processes are brought out of the lab and into the hospital. Techna, a new University Health Network-University of Toronto healthcare technologies commercialization initiative that launches next week, will also help bridge the gap between research and the clinical application of technologies.

For more information, visit the IBBME website.