New Company Aims to Develop Sternal Protection Technology

Randall Moshinsky, M.D., is used to being on the cutting edge of technology.

Nearly a decade ago, he was part of a two-member team that performed the first robotic heart surgeries in the southern hemisphere. Now, the Melbourne, Australia-based cardiothoracic surgeon has designed sternal protection technology that eventually could be commercialized in the next few years. Australia’s Medical Research Commercialisation Fund (MCRF) has pledged $2 million to develop Moshinsky’s invention and begin testing it next year through an early-stage company called Protego Medical Pty Ltd.

Born earlier this fall, Protego is headed by Pablo Solis, a medical device industry veteran with 17 years of experience. His tenure in the sector includes leadership roles in project management, manufacturing engineering, research and development and regulatory affairs for Fisher & Paykel, ResMed, Ventracor and Finisar. He holds an MBA from the Macquarie Graduate School of Management in Sydney, Australia, and an advanced degree in industrial engineering from the University of Costa Rica. 

“1.2 Million cardiac operations take place each year in the USA and Europe and sternal bleeding and trauma can greatly impede the recovery of patients,” Solis said. “This technology has potential to both reduce blood loss and protect the sternum during heart operations. These improved outcomes will impact on both surgeon satisfaction and patient well-being, and will also save money through the resulting lower complication rates and faster recovery times.”

Moshinksy’s technology is designed to minimize bleeding from a divided sternum, a condition that can boost morbidity and complication rates during cardiac surgery. The use of sternal retractors to hold back the edges of the sternum in cardiac surgery leads to trauma to the sternum and sometimes sternal fractures resulting in increased post-operative pain and morbidity. The device protects the sternum from trauma and also reduces blood loss from the sternum, according to the newborn company.

“The device will also reduce trauma to, and fractures of the sternum from the sternal retractor,” he noted. “This in turn will result in less post-operative pain. The device may also reduce the risk of sternal wound infection by reducing the risk of inoculation by bacteria”.

Protego is due to enter initial clinical investigations in mid-2014 under the direction of principal investigator Silvana Marasco, M.D., a cardiac surgeon at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne.

Protego Medical Pty Ltd. is located in Melbourne, Australia.