Technology

UniFlow

A minimally invasive heart pump platform in development for the cavopulmonary pathway: the area of Fontan circulation that operates without an active pump.

Illustrative example of a catheter-deliverable circulatory support pump within a stent cage. This is a generic example, not the actual UniFlow device.
Illustrative example of a catheter-based circulatory support device. Not the actual UniFlow design, which will be shown after patent approval.

The Unmet Need

Fontan circulation lacks a dedicated pump

Patients with single-ventricle physiology undergo the Fontan procedure to redirect venous return directly to the pulmonary arteries, bypassing the missing subpulmonary ventricle. This life-saving operation reroutes circulation but leaves the cavopulmonary pathway without an active pump.

Over time, chronically elevated venous pressure and limited cardiac output drive progressive complications: liver disease, protein-losing enteropathy, exercise intolerance, and ultimately Fontan failure. Existing therapeutic options are limited, invasive, or not specifically designed for Fontan physiology.

Our Approach

Dedicated circulatory support, by design

UniFlow is being developed to provide assistance specifically within the cavopulmonary pathway.

Catheter-based delivery

Targeting a minimally invasive implantation pathway, with the goal of avoiding open-heart surgery.

Delivered through the vasculature instead of the chest, a catheter-based route could lower surgical risk, shorten recovery, and keep future interventions possible. Sizing and anchoring within the cavopulmonary pathway are active design questions.

Adaptive control under investigation

Control algorithms in development, intended to respond to physiological demand across activity and rest.

Fontan circulation has no pump that responds to the body. We are studying control strategies that read changing demand and adjust support from rest to exertion, while staying within safe operating limits.

Pulsatile flow concept

Pulsatile flow architecture under bench evaluation as part of physiological compatibility studies.

Healthy circulation is pulsatile; most continuous-flow pumps are not. We are evaluating whether a pulsatile architecture improves physiological compatibility, using bench loops and computational fluid dynamics.

Next

See where the technology stands today

Computational and in-vitro validation, with preclinical work in preparation.

View development status →