Materialise Acquires Developer of AI Software for Cardiac Procedures

3D printing software and service pioneer Materialise (Nasdaq: MTLS) has bought FEops, a cardiac care software package developer that uses AI to simulate and predict outcomes of cardiac procedures. Specifically, FEops deals with transcatheter structural heart devices. Structural heart diseases can include congenital conditions or issues like coronary artery disease and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a thickening of heart tissue leading to less blood being pumped. When devices are used to ameliorate these conditions, they generally have to be customized to work well. In the case of heart valves, treatment could involve putting a balloon inside to open the area or major surgery to replace the valve by opening up the chest. A newer set of procedures includes TAVR, also called Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI), used to combat aortic stenosis.

This procedure, first performed in 2002, involves a doctor inserting a catheter into an artery in the groin and guiding it to the aorta. Once there, a folded stent is pushed through, unfolded, and pressed over the heart valve with a balloon. While this doesn’t sound enjoyable, the alternatives are far worse. With open-heart surgery, the chest is cracked open, and the patient is put on a heart bypass machine. Alternatively, the sternum could be cut, or numerous small cuts made for robot-assisted surgery.

Clinical studies abound, but the general consensus is that transcatheter procedures may be as effective or better, potentially leading to faster recovery and less risk for patients. The jury is still out on this, but aortic stenosis affects around a quarter of patients over 65. In OECD countries, around 18% of the population is over 65. Severe symptoms may affect 2% to 9% of those over 75, and mortality for symptomatic patients may be as high as 90%.

TAVI procedures are successful 92% of the time, but there is still a 4% rate of stroke. Given the prevalence of aortic stenosis and the fact that patients live only 1 to 3 years without successful surgery, any improvement will significantly impact human life. Patient populations for this procedure are expected to increase, with some estimates predicting a doubling of the number of surgeries.

The risk involved in the procedure, coupled with its critical nature and high volume, makes this acquisition seem very wise. Procedures can go awry if the stent isn’t anchored properly or if a balloon that is too large is used. FEops predicts how the device will fit and work in the body. Materialise will integrate this functionality into its Mimics Planner for Structural Heart Interventions product, hoping that its planning tool will now include more prediction-based intelligence to help avert mistakes.

“At Materialise, we are pioneering the advent of mass-personalization in healthcare, using advanced visualization and 3D printing technologies to deliver precise, patient-specific solutions. By integrating FEops’ advanced predictive simulation technology with our Mimics Planner, we are expanding our cardiovascular solutions to provide clinicians with comprehensive insights into patient anatomy. This integration will not only enhance the accuracy and efficiency of structural heart interventions but also improve clinical outcomes and patient safety,” said Materialise CEO Brigitte de Vet.

The company also hopes the tools will help select the right patients for TAVI procedures and determine which patients would benefit more from other treatments. There might be potential to make 3D printed heart valves at some point, as they need to be ultralight and are sometimes made of carbon fiber. However, this seems rather far off, indicating that this is more a simulation medical software-focused play than a 3D printing one. This could be another sign that Materialise is moving towards being more of a medical company than a 3D printing one.