Page 15 - Synapse Brochure 2023

CONNECT WITH CANADA'S LEADING HEALTH INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM 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
Hamilton’s got it figured out. 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
When Rachel Bartholomew was didn’t have the clinical hospitals that device company in the competition
diagnosed with cervical cancer, she Hamilton has - the actual hospitals,” and reached out,” says Aguirre.
was horrified to learn the device used Aguirre explains. “Hamilton is so “And the rest is history.”
to prepare her vaginal canal for exams connected, between the hospitals
and surgery hadn’t been updated and the research institutions."
since 1940. “It’s painful, it’s invasive,
it sucks!” she says. Pouncing on thrilling research
coming out from the University
Determined to unlock ways to of Alberta, Epineuron developed
treat women better, Hyivy Health PeriPulse, a small, compact device
has developed FLOORA, a pelvic that helps nerve repair after
rehabilitation vaginal dilator. surgery. The device sends targeted

Rather than start from scratch, FLOORA signals to nerves damaged in
is built on existing treatments - just, surgery, prompting fast, natural,
not for pelvic floor devices. “What hyper-regeneration.
are we doing elsewhere in the body?” When choosing a home for Hyivy, Importantly for medical
Bartholomew asks. “What sensors Bartholomew knew Hamilton was it. practitioners, the PeriPulse does not
are we using, what treatments are “I asked myself: Where will I get interfere with surgeons: applied at
we doing?” The result is a device that the clinical and medical support?” the end of surgeries, the PeriPulse
utilizes massage, hot-and-cold therapy, she explains. “Hamilton.” remains active while patients are
drug delivery, and lubrication to create in the recovery room, and can be
a more comfortable, responsive dilator. Hyivy is currently in clinical trials, and removed by a nurse.
set to go to market in 2024. “We’re
Bartholomew applauds the role in nine different trials right now,” “I haven’t heard of anywhere else
the Consortium played in Hyivy’s Bartholomew says, “and Hamilton is that does things this way.”
journey. “Innovation Factory’s by far the easiest.
Synapse Competition was our Synapse being in Hamilton also
first funding source,” she says. “They’ve got it figured out.” didn’t hurt. Epineuron was the
“They kicked us into gear.” winner of Innovation Factory’s
Synapse Pitch Competition in 2019.

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