Page 14 - Synapse Brochure 2023

CONNECT WITH CANADA'S LEADING HEALTH INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM
Hamilton’s got it figured out.
When Rachel Bartholomew was
diagnosed with cervical cancer, she
was horrified to learn the device used
to prepare her vaginal canal for exams
and surgery hadn’t been updated
since 1940. “It’s painful, it’s invasive,
it sucks!” she says.
Determined to unlock ways to
treat women better, Hyivy Health
has developed FLOORA, a pelvic
rehabilitation vaginal dilator.
Rather than start from scratch, FLOORA
is built on existing treatments - just,
not for pelvic floor devices. “What
are we doing elsewhere in the body?”
Bartholomew asks. “What sensors
are we using, what treatments are
we doing?” The result is a device that
utilizes massage, hot-and-cold therapy,
drug delivery, and lubrication to create
a more comfortable, responsive dilator.
Bartholomew applauds the role
the Consortium played in Hyivy’s
journey. “Innovation Factory’s
Synapse Competition was our
first funding source,” she says.
“They kicked us into gear.”
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When choosing a home for Hyivy,
Bartholomew knew Hamilton was it.
“I asked myself: Where will I get
the clinical and medical support?”
she explains. “Hamilton.”
Hyivy is currently in clinical trials, and
set to go to market in 2024. “We’re
in nine different trials right now,”
Bartholomew says, “and Hamilton is
by far the easiest.
“They’ve got it figured out.”
SYNAPSE LIFE SCIENCE CONSORTIUM
Synapse made us get serious.
Founded by two McMaster grads, Most importantly, their competition
it should be no surprise that success connected Epineuron with
Epineuron found its home in Ing Goping, a successful and
Hamilton, but founders Sergio established medical devices
Aguirre and Dr. Mike Willand took entrepreneur, businessman, and
time to research incubators before mentor with Innovation Factory.
settling. “Some other incubators
were great for research, but they “He heard that there was a medical
didn’t have the clinical hospitals that device company in the competition
Hamilton has - the actual hospitals,” and reached out,” says Aguirre.
Aguirre explains. “Hamilton is so “And the rest is history.”
connected, between the hospitals
and the research institutions."
Pouncing on thrilling research
coming out from the University
of Alberta, Epineuron developed
PeriPulse, a small, compact device
that helps nerve repair after
surgery. The device sends targeted
signals to nerves damaged in
surgery, prompting fast, natural,
hyper-regeneration.
Importantly for medical
practitioners, the PeriPulse does not
interfere with surgeons: applied at
the end of surgeries, the PeriPulse
remains active while patients are
in the recovery room, and can be
removed by a nurse.
“I haven’t heard of anywhere else
that does things this way.”
Synapse being in Hamilton also
didn’t hurt. Epineuron was the
winner of Innovation Factory’s
Synapse Pitch Competition in 2019.
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