Umana Medical Technologies: unattended, wireless monitoring of the heart

With cardiovascular diseases being the largest single cause of death in the EU, accounting annually for about 2 million deaths, there are good reasons to ensure support for companies that are pushing the boundaries of medical technology to find better ways to protect people's health.

One new solution recently introduced to the market comes from Umana Medical Technologies, a Maltese company with proprietary technology based on the latest innovations in the fields of nanotechnology, biosensors and wearable devices.

Its flagship product, the Umana T1 Heart Monitor, functions as a non-invasive vital signs monitoring device. As Dr. Adrian Trevisan, CEO and co-founder, explains: “It’s a bit like temporary tattoos, but using a nanomaterial we developed and including sensors and transmitters to do everything that other heart monitors can do, only without the nuisance.”

This innovative device has very thin epidermal sensors that take measurements with more accuracy and precision than traditional, bulkier equipment, while holding the same quality certifications. They capture and analyse in real-time the electrical activity of the heart, and remain in place for up to five days without any inconvenience for the user.

From the sensor, data transfers wirelessly to an application running on a normal smartphone, recording and analysing signals for monitoring and detecting abnormalities. Medical professionals can access the information remotely, and whenever a significant activity is detected, the user can choose to have a text message sent immediately to a chosen third party.

In 2017, the company secured financing from the Bank of Valletta, in the form of a loan guaranteed by EIF. These funds were used to take the technology into the manufacturing stage, creating nine new jobs in the process. As Adrian notes: “This financing gave us much-needed breathing space, without which it would have been impossible to get to this stage. It allowed us to invest in the right talent to take the business to the next level.”

The company is currently taking pre-orders and developing its manufacturing facilities with the aim of hitting the market by the end of 2017. At the same time, they are also working on new applications of this technology, through devices designed to monitor muscles, the brain and even sweat. Watch this space.

Company: Umana Medical Technologies (Malta)

Type of business: Medical devices

EIF financing: SME Initiative Malta

Financial intermediary: Bank of Valletta

For further information about EIF intermediaries in Malta, please refer to: http://www.eif.org/what_we_do/where/mt/index.htm