A non-invasive, child-friendly solution to detect kidney reflux without the trauma.

Our mission is to be the method of choice for screening and monitoring kidney reflux by enhancing patient experience and clinical outcomes.

Kidney Reflux

Vesicoureteral Reflux (VUR)

VUR is an anatomical and/or functional disorder causing backflow of urine from the bladder to the kidneys. It is the most common urinary tract abnormality in babies and children up to five years of age. VUR has potentially serious consequences such as renal scarring, hypertension and renal failure.

Existing diagnostic techniques are invasive and either involve radiation exposure or are unreliable.

The company estimates that the device can reach over 1.5 million children in the US and Europe per year for screening alone.

kidneys, ureters and bladder
VCUG

The Opportunity

The key drivers for a safe and child-friendly system to detect VUR include the following:

Clear Unmet Clinical Need

  • Significant clinician support for patient-centric solution

Healthcare System Initiatives

  • Reduce radiation exposure in children
  • Prevent long-term conditions through early screening

Changes in Clinical Practice

  • Reduce use of current gold standard diagnostic test (VCUG) and alleviate clinician concern over missed diagnosis

Growth in Digital Health

  • Drive towards remote monitoring of patients
  • Move to outpatient and community-based monitoring

A Better Way

The Kite Medical system uses electrical impedance tomography to identify changes in conductivity in the children’s ureters and kidneys that indicate kidney reflux. The device will screen children at initial assessment and monitor children after VUR is diagnosed.

Enhanced Patient Experience

  • Non-invasive - no pain and trauma associated with catheterisation
  • No radiation or x-ray images required
  • Outpatient or primary care setting - does not require referral to radiology
  • Child-friendly - will provide a wearable, child-friendly and user-friendly solution

Cost Savings

  • Direct cost reduction over the current standard of care
  • Indirect cost savings - earlier treatment and prevention of illnesses associated with delayed VUR diagnosis (e.g. UTIs and permanent kidney damage)

News

  • June 2020 Horizon 2020 EIC Accelerator funding from the European Commission
  • March 2020 Patent granted for "Non-invasive detection of the backflow of urine"
  • August 2019
    Peer-reviewed paper demonstrating detectability of simulated VUR using EIT in a pre-clinical setting
  • July 2019 Awarded EIT Health Headstart funding
  • September 2018 Start-up of the month on Silicon Republic
  • June 2018 Top 100 start-up companies in Ireland
  • April 2018 Seed funding from Enterprise Ireland and private investors
  • February 2018 Grant from the Philadelphia Pediatric Medical Device Consortium (PPDC)
  • BioInnovate (National University of Ireland, Galway) spin-out