A medical device inserted into the small intestine through endoscopy to prevent nutrients from entering the bloodstream ? This is the solution imagined by Horuscare’s CEO Jean-Michel Verd to treat obesity.
Asmall revolution is coming in the field of medical devices used for obesity treatment. Until now, the main efficient treatment consisted in shunting a portion of the stomach and the small intestine. But Jean-Michel Verd decided to design a medical device inserted into the upper portion of the small intestine through endoscopy, just after the stomach, where nutrients enter the bloodstream.
The stent solution
In order to design this system, Jean-Michel Verd founded Horuscare and resorted to Cetim. "I decided to rely on partners that were not necessarily usual in the medical field, especially experts in precision mechanics", explains Jean-Michel Verd.
Cetim and Jean-Michel Verd first collaborated so as to define the specifications, then Cetim analysed the state of the art to propose several solutions, among which the radial expander, also known as stent. The device is comprised of three components: a sheath which prevents nutrient transfer, a frame which holds the sheath open, and the radial expander which holds the assembly in its position, thereby preventing its migration.
The manufacturing of the prototype was entrusted to Cisteo Médical, a specialist in the manufacturing of medical devices based in Besançon (France). Now this device remains to be tested. For that purpose, Cetim’s teams have designed a test bench with a dummy small intestine made of silicone, since this material has similar characteristics to those of the organ. Actuators press the dummy intestine to simulate the movements which reduce food into nutrients. The objective is to check that the device is really impermeable and does not allow any nutrient to enter the bloodstream and, above all, to make sure that it will not migrate. The tests started in early November, with several thousands of cycles planned.
Cetim has all the necessary expertise to support inventors, from the first idea to the industrial manufacturing phase, and including phases such as technological watch, maturation of the idea, selection of the solution, prototype testing, search for funding and even joint development.
