Thermocore Medical Systems

We have carried out the development of the Thermosense catheter system for detecting problem areas within coronary arteries.

The cardiovascular diagnostic device enables the investigation of previously undetectable areas within the heart. These areas, known as unstable or vulnerable plaque, are seen as the most likely cause of heart attack and subsuquent death.

With heart disease being the number one killer in the western world, Thermosense could be a real lifesaver for many. Approximately 5 million catheterisation procedures are carried out annually world-wide in order to diagnose heart disease.

The system comprises a thermography catheter with a functional probe containing four tiny sensors, known as thermistors. These engage with the surface of the artery after retraction of a protective sheath and perform up to 25 measurements per second with an accuracy of 0.01 degrees Celsius. A dedicated, catheter-specific pullback device holds the catheter and is capable of withdrawing it with thermistors engaged with the artery's surface at an operator-defined speed. The thermography catheter is connected to a console which overlays the data acquired on to the conventional angiographic image in a visual, real time and clinician-friendly format.

The system has received the CE mark in Europe and is now undergoing commercialisation with Bristol Myers Squibb.