VisCardia Inc. is a privately held medical device developer based in Portland, Oregon. Their VisONE® implantable system delivers VisCardia’s proprietary “Asymptomatic Diaphragmatic Stimulation” (ADS) therapy to improve cardiac function. The idea is that by electrically stimulating the diaphragm in an asymptomatic manner, transient intrathoracic pressures gated to cardiac activity are applied against the cardiac walls, improving both cardiac filling and output.
VisCardia demonstrated in preclinical and early feasibility studies that ADS improves acute hemodynamic parameters and chronic left ventricular ejection fraction.
VisCardia announced the first human implant of the VisONE® IPG in the Ukraine in August 2018. They are now conducting a 12-month pilot study on moderate heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction.