USA – Bright Uro has announced its company launch with US$6 million in total funding, including a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Aliso Viejo, California-based Bright Uro aims to transform care for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) with innovations in urodynamics.
The company pulled in US$4 million in seed financing from Academy Investor Network, surgical robotics veteran Fred Moll and other prominent angel investors.
According to a news release, the NIH awarded Bright Uro a US$2 million Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant as well. The company intends to use the funds to expand operations and its development efforts.
Bright Uro obtained has obtained an exclusive licensing agreement from Cleveland Clinic for technology developed by the hospital system in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs, Case Western Reserve University, and Parker Hannifin Corporation.
The company will use that technology in its investigational Glean urodynamics system. It designed Glean to improve the patient and clinician experience through increased accuracy and comfort, enabling wireless, catheter-free urodynamics.
Glean features an insertion tool, a Bluetooth-enabled pressure sensor in a flexible silicone tube, a software app for use by clinicians and patients and a uroflow meter to sense volume and flow.
The company said such a design may enable physicians to gather more ambulatory data with greater physiologic accuracy than the current standard of care for urodynamics.
With 80% of urologists understanding the flaws in current urodynamics practices, it has become clear that the current standard of care leaves much to be desired.”
“Bright Uro aims to improve the quality, accuracy, and efficiency of the care urology patients receive, and we have the unique opportunity to become a leader in this field.”
Urodynamic tests are completed for patients with urine leaks, bladder emptying complications, urine flow issues, and other lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) to measure how well the bladder, sphincters, and urethra hold and release urine.
The market is large and underserved, with tens of millions of Americans suffering from lower urinary tract conditions.
Thus, the Glean urodynamics system has the potential to have a meaningful impact on patient care and the healthcare system.
However, urodynamics are often underused due to cost, inaccuracy, and patient discomfort.
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