The Pennsylvania Pediatric Device Consortium has awarded CoapTech a Seed Fund Grant

The PPDC (Pennsylvania Pediatric Medical Device Consortium), based in Philadelphia, has awarded a $50,000 grant to CoapTech, Inc, a medical device company focused on providing novel solutions for minimally invasive surgery, for their PUMA-G Peds System. It’s a device that makes it easier to insert feeding tubes into youngsters.

The PUMA SystemTM is a new class of minimally invasive devices that allows ultrasound treatments to be performed in hollow organs of the body that were previously impossible or dangerous. The PUMA-G Peds System device is being introduced to enable paediatric patients to have gastrostomy tubes put by ultrasound rather than traditional fluoroscopic or endoscopic procedures. Endoscopic techniques can’t look through tissue, which can lead to organ damage and other problems.

Ionizing radiation is used in fluoroscopic procedures, which poses a long-term cancer risk. Without ionizing radiation, the PUMA-G Peds System employs ultrasound to see tissue and organs in real-time. It is meant to work in the same way as the adult PUMA-G System, but with changes to suit the needs of young patients. CoapTech Co-founder and CEO Howard Carolan remarked, “We are thrilled to earn this prestigious award from PPDC.

As we develop this crucial paediatric version of the PUMA-G feeding tube insertion device, we are fortunate to work with a strong, world-renowned clinical team.” CoapTech was chosen as one of five recipients from 10 competitors in a competition to earn funds from the consortium.The technology was developed at the UMB (University of Maryland, Baltimore), and CoapTech was born. UM Ventures, a technology transfer arm of UMB, made a direct investment in the firm as well.