Surgical device start-up Protego Medical launches

Medical technology start-up Protego Medical formally launched yesterday and announced the appointment of its first CEO.

Protego is developing a device to provide sternal protection during cardiac surgery. The company was formed yesterday with $2 million in seed funding from Australia’s Medical Research Commercialisation Fund (MRCF).

The company is being led up by new CEO Pablo Solis, who will draw on his 17 years’ worth of product development and manufacturing experience.

During his career, Solis has held roles at companies including Fisher & Paykel, ResMed, Ventracor and Finisar.

Protego’s sternal protection technology was originally developed by Melbourne-based cardiothoracic surgeon Dr Randall Moshinsky.

It is designed to overcome the significant issue of bleeding from the divided sternum during cardiothoracic surgery, while also reducing trauma to the sternum from use of the sternal retractor.

“This simple technology has excellent potential to both reduce blood loss and also protect the sternum during heart operations,” Solis said. “[Around] 1.2 million cardiac operations take place each year in the USA and Europe and sternal bleeding and trauma can greatly impede the recovery of patients.”