Galway firm’s heart device could improve life of millions

A medical device to be trialled by a spinout company at NUI Galway could improve the lives of millions of people with an irregular heartbeat and save world health systems billions of euro a year.

While clinical trials are not due to begin until 2020, confidence in the firm has been shown by its selection as the highest-ranked of 1,280 applications for the latest round of a European fund for high-potential innovation.

The €2.5m from the Horizon 2020 SME Instrument fund will allow AuriGen Medical develop its product, aimed at reducing risk of stroke and heart failure, for those first trials in humans.