Life Science Intelligence

Under the leadership of Co-Founder and CEO Tim Blair, iCHOR Vascular is advancing a new approach to treating peripheral vascular occlusions by converting one of surgery’s most proven techniques into a simple, minimally invasive endovascular procedure. Founded to address shortcomings in clot removal, the company’s iSWEEP platform modernizes the classic Fogarty balloon sweep, delivering rapid vessel clearance without thrombolytic drugs, complex surgery, blood loss, vessel damage, or capital equipment. Origin Story iCHOR Vascular was founded by practicing Vascular Interventional Radiologist Dr. Troy Long and industry veteran Tim Blair, sparked by a clear realization. “The iCHOR aha moment came from our preclinical experiences with various thrombectomy technologies in their early development stages,” Blair explained. “Whether it was another aspiration technology, another Archimedes screw, another maceration contraption, or another metal scrapping tool, nobody was superior to clot removal a...

Thrombectomy is the focus this week, with two major announcements that could meaningfully move this space forward. One came from Inquis Medical, which announced a $75 million Series C round backed by an undisclosed strategic investor. The other came from Boston Scientific, which announced plans to acquire Penumbra for $14.5 billion, marking the largest acquisition in Boston Scientific’s history. Together, these headlines point to a market where mechanical clot removal is gaining momentum across multiple indications. The thrombectomy devices market remains underpenetrated in several of its largest patient populations, which is helping drive both investment and M&A activity. What Thrombectomy Means in Practice Thrombectomy refers to the surgical removal of a thrombus, or blood clot. The procedure is a minimally invasive surgery that uses a catheter-based device to mechanically fragment, retrieve, or aspirate clot material to restore blood flow. The procedure is often used when ra...

In a successful week for the medical technology companies in the LSI Alumni community, we saw LSI Alumni secure new funding, receive regulatory clearances, launch products, and much more on the road to LSI USA ’26 in Dana Point (March 16–20). Amplifi Vascular Was granted FDA Breakthrough Device Designation and Category B assignment from the CMS for its Amplifi™ Vein Dilation System, supporting accelerated development of a technology designed to enhance vein size and quality prior to AV fistula creation for hemodialysis access. The milestone was backed by first-in-human data from 19 patients and strengthens Amplifi’s path toward broader regulatory engagement and future patient access. Augmedit Announced that clinical teams at Amsterdam UMC and UMC Utrecht Brain Center successfully completed the first use of LumiNE Elite for external ventricular drain placement. LumiNE Elite provides patient-specific three-dimensional visualization by converting standard 2D imaging into interactive 3D h...