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How a medtech company found the cardiac testing it needed in Galway
A collaboration with ATU’s MET Technology Gateway is giving CroíValve access to clinical-grade imaging as it develops new cardiac technology for serious heart conditions.
In medical innovation, the real question is how a device performs in the human body, not just in theory.
For CroíValve, a Dublin-based medical device company developing novel cardiac technology, that answer demanded more than standard laboratory testing.
Assessing how a cardiac device behaves inside the body requires advanced clinical imaging, such as echocardiography and fluoroscopy. These tools are rarely available in standard Research & Development (R&D) environments, and even more rarely accessible without significant investment in infrastructure.
This created a clear bottleneck for CroíValve: how do you understand device behaviour in a setting that reflects real clinical conditions before human trials?
That gap was addressed through a collaboration with the Medical & Engineering Technology Gateway (MET Gateway) in partnership with LifeTec Group.
Instead of trying to replicate clinical environments internally, CroíValve gained access to one that already existed.
The MET Technology Gateway provided advanced imaging infrastructure and specialist technical expertise. This included access to echocardiography visualisation on the bench using a Transesophageal Echocardiogram (TEE) probe.
“We don’t just validate technology, we accelerate the path to life-saving clinical success”.
Dr Jamie Meehan, MET Technology Gateway Manager
Close up images of heart models
“This is something we are unable to do in-house.”
“The ability to have echo visualisation on the bench via TEE probe was a huge benefit”, shares Aoife Mulligan, Senior R&D Chemical Negineer at CroíValve. “This is something we are unable to do in-house.”
That access changed what was possible in testing: “Visualisation of the device via echo is key to assessing device performance”, she added.
The collaboration also brought in LifeTec Group model technology, allowing CroíValve to carry out testing within Ireland while still working to international standards of simulation.
Business Development lead Mr Billy Donovan said: “By providing clinical-grade imaging like TEE and fluoroscopy, MET has empowered CroíValve to de-risk R&D in a highly authentic environment.”
He adds that this approach shows “how our infrastructure acts as a commercial catalyst—transforming technical bottlenecks into validated pathways for market-ready cardiac innovation.”
The impact of the partnership was immediate.
There was a clearer understanding of how the device behaves during simulated implantation. Key infrastructure barriers linked to advanced imaging were removed. Development timelines accelerated. Moreover, preparation for clinical-stage deployment became more structured.
The company is now also exploring more advanced imaging techniques, including 4D intracardiac echo, to further refine device assessment.
“Our infrastructure acts as a commercial catalyst by transforming technical bottlenecks into validated pathways for market-ready cardiac innovation.”
Mr Billy Donovan, Business Development Lead
At a broader level, the collaboration reflects a shift in how medical devices are developed.
As Dr Jamie Meehan, MET Technology Gateway Manager, explains:
“By providing CroíValve with a ‘clinical window’ into device performance long before it reaches the operating theatre, we have transformed their R&D process from theoretical to experiential.”
He concludes that “when we bridge the gap between bench testing and real-world imaging, we don’t just validate technology—we accelerate the path to life-saving clinical success.”
Future funding
For the Medtech sector, it demonstrates the impact of providing medical companies with clinically representative testing environments.
By removing infrastructure barriers to advanced imaging, MET enabled CroíValve to accelerate device understanding and readiness for clinical translation in Irish-led cardiac innovations.
Recently, CroíValve also secured €33 million in Series B investment backed by BGF, the European Innovation Council and the MedTech Syndicate. The funding will support the expansion of CroíValve’s TANDEM II clinical trial across the US and Europe.
CroíValve secures funding to develop a minimally invasive treatment for tricuspid regurgitation, a serious heart condition affecting millions globally.
For media enquiries, contact:
Jorden McMenamin
Communications Officer
Tel: 074 918 6127
E: jorden.mcmenamin@atu.ie
The MET Technology Gateway is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the ERDF Northern and Western Regional Programme 2021-27.
