NinePoint Medical Appoints CEO

NinePoint Medical Inc, a medical device company pioneering the use of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) for gastrointestinal applications, has appointed Eman Namati, Ph.D., to president and CEO. Dr. Namati succeeds Christopher von Jako, Ph.D., who will continue to serve on the Board of Directors as an independent member. Dr. Namati will assume day-to-day leadership at NinePoint Medical while working in collaboration with Merit Medical Systems Inc., which now manages the sales distribution and customer service for the NvisionVLE Imaging System.
 
“With the recent strategic partnership NinePoint entered into with Merit Medical, along with Eman’s long history with the technology, business acumen, and strong leadership, this was a natural choice for the Board and a great next step for the company,” said Tom Miller, board chairman. “In addition to Eman’s product vision, he has during his tenure at NinePoint established a track record of building and successfully leading diverse and highly technical teams through the development and commercialization of complex medical instruments. As we look towards future growth opportunities and expand into new indications, his experience and vision will be key to our success.”
 
Dr. Namati joined NinePoint Medical during its inception in 2010 as a technical co-founder and has served as the vice president of Research and Development for the past four years. He has overseen the development of highly complex imaging systems and single-use devices from concept through commercialization, including translation of the original academic prototype into the NvisionVLE platform as well as the recently launched Real-time Targeting laser marking system. Prior to his time at NinePoint, Dr. Namati was a researcher developing optical imaging systems at Massachusetts General Hospital. He worked with Professors Guillermo Tearney, M.D., Ph.D., and Brett Bouma, Ph.D., on the OCT technology that was licensed to NinePoint Medical. Dr. Namati holds a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering and a double undergraduate degree in engineering and science  from Flinders University Australia.
 
“I am honored and incredibly excited to take on this leadership role during such a pivotal point in the company’s history and look forward to working with Merit Medical on our new strategic partnership. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Chris for his service to NinePoint and mentorship to me over the past four years. I am fortunate to be surrounded by a talented team with innovative products in the pipeline. Together, we look forward to continuing our important mission towards early detection of cancer,” said Dr. Namati.
 
The NvisionVLE Imaging System provides a unique and clinically valuable new perspective on esophageal disease—the ability to image within the wall of the esophagus. By providing a high-resolution, real-time scan of the esophagus using OCT—a technology similar to ultrasound but using infrared light rather than sound waves—the system enables physicians to view structures not evident with conventional imaging, and potentially identify disease that would have otherwise been missed. With the recent addition of a Real-time Targeting feature, physicians can not only locate, but now mark areas of interest. This marking feature, in combination with an improved workflow, enables more accurate targeting, potentially leading to improved diagnosis and more effective therapeutic decisions for patients.
 
The NvisionVLE Imaging System has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is commercially available in the United States. It is indicated for use as an imaging tool in the evaluation of human tissue microstructure, including esophageal tissue microstructure, by providing two-dimensional, cross-sectional, real-time depth visualization and may be used to mark areas of tissue. The safety and efficacy of this device for diagnostic analysis (i.e. differentiating normal versus specific abnormalities) in any tissue microstructure or specific disease has not been evaluated.
 
NinePoint Medical is a privately-held medical device company that designs, manufactures, and sells an OCT imaging platform for clinical use in gastroenterology, pulmonology, urology, gynecology, and ENT, for the evaluation of human tissue microstructure. Using proprietary imaging and software technology, the company is committed to enabling quicker diagnosis of disease and more effective treatments, while reducing the overall cost of healthcare. NinePoint Medical is located in suburban Boston, Mass.
 
Founded in 1987, Merit Medical Systems Inc. develops, manufactures, and distributes proprietary disposable medical devices used in interventional, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, particularly in cardiology, radiology, oncology, critical care and endoscopy. Merit serves client hospitals worldwide with a domestic and international sales force totaling approximately 290 individuals. Merit employs approximately 5,000 people worldwide with facilities in South Jordan, Utah; Pearland, Texas; Richmond, Va.; Malvern, Pa.; Rockland, Mass.; San Jose, Calif.; Maastricht and Venlo, The Netherlands; Paris, France; Galway, Ireland; Beijing, China; Tijuana, Mexico; Joinville, Brazil; Markham, Ontario, Canada; Melbourne, Australia; Tokyo, Japan; and Yishun, Singapore.