By Chris Bavender
Carmel-based Nanovis announced it has received $5.5 million in investments that will help it launch the first nanotube-enhanced spinal implants.
The implants will give surgeons a new option to promote healing for patients who undergo spinal fusions, according to Jeff Shepherd, Nanovis vice president of sales.
“Wound- and implant-related infections are one of the most heart-wrenching complications in the field,” Shepherd said. “We expect our bactericidal platforms to play an important role in reducing these infections.”
Nanotechnology considers and manipulates individual atoms and molecules. According to Nano.gov, there are 25.4 million nanometers in an inch, and a sheet of newspaper is approximately 100,000 nanometers thick.
Nanovis’ new implant technology was licensed from Purdue University.
Shepherd said the fact Indiana investors provided 81 percent of the funding is important.
“Indiana has one of the best orthopedic economies of any state. We have cutting-edge technologies coming out of Purdue and our other universities, and Indiana is full of smart, hard-working people,” he said. “Obtaining funding from Hoosier investors lessens pressure to leave the state for the east or west coast to be close to capital located in those areas. This allows Nanovis to focus on commercializing the best technologies for fixation and infection instead of relocating.”
In the next nine months, Nanovis plans to add its nanotube technology to every one of its spinal implant systems.
“This will make our portfolio incredibly advanced and the only one of its kind in the world,” Shepherd said. “We also have important milestones approaching in our bactericidal technology platform that we expect to help us chose the right path to launch some potentially revolutionary technologies to prevent and treat infection.”
