Thermocore Medical Systems awards £1m contract to Cambridge Consultants

CCL has been awarded a £1m contract to help Belgian start up Thermocore Medical Systems NV develop a new cardiovascular diagnostic device. With heart disease being the number one killer in the western world, the new device has the potential to be a real lifesaver for many. Early detection of potential heart problems is critical to reducing the likelihood of heart attacks.

One in three people at some point in their life will undergo routine diagnostic work, a process known as "an angiogram", that allows doctors using x-ray imaging to visualise the patient's coronary arteries.

The new device being developed by Thermocore and CCL will allow doctors to take this procedure one step further. Dr John Yianni, CEO of Thermocore explains "If a severely narrowed or even blocked artery shows up on the x-ray, the patient would probably receive treatment to reopen the blockage. This restores the blood flow and, in turn, makes the patient feel 20 years younger. However, 6 months later the patient may suffer another heart attack that can often be fatal. We believe this is caused by previously undetectable problems called 'unstable or vulnerable plaques', a diseased area within the artery that may not even show up on the x-ray, but act as a silent time-bomb. We believe that by detecting these unstable plaques in their early stages we can dramatically reduce the patient's chance of suffering a heart attack. Identifying the area of the disease which is most likely to cause a heart attack or death in the future will allow the doctor to treat the patient accordingly." Thermocore chose CCL because of its experience in medical product design coupled with its ability to run multi-disciplinary projects. Andrew Diston, head of CCL's medical physics division, is in charge of the project that combines mechanical engineering with software and electronics engineering. "This is a great win for CCL and allows us to demonstrate one of our great strengths - the ability to completely develop new products using a spectrum of engineering skills. Our work with Thermocore builds on an extensive history within medical product design and development."

Notes for editors:

Cambridge Consultants develops breakthrough products, creates and licenses intellectual property, and provides business consultancy in technology critical issues for clients worldwide. For over 50 years, the company has been helping its clients turn business opportunities into commercial successes, whether they are launching first-to-market products, entering new markets or expanding existing markets through the introduction of new technologies. With a team of over 300 engineers, designers, scientists and consultants, in offices in Cambridge (UK) and Boston (USA), Cambridge Consultants offers solutions across a diverse range of industries including medical technology, industrial and consumer products, transport, energy, cleantech and wireless communications.

Created by three Cambridge graduates in 1960, the company has grown into a leading technology business, renowned worldwide for its ability to solve technical problems and provide innovative, practical solutions to commercial issues. In 2009, the company was awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade, and in 2011 was awarded a second Queen's Award, this time for Innovation. For more information visit: www.CambridgeConsultants.com

Cambridge Consultants is part of Altran, global leader in innovation and high-tech engineering consulting. Altran supports companies in the creation and development of their new products and services. For thirty years, the Group has been providing services to key players in the fields of Aerospace, Automotive, Energy, Railways, Finance, Healthcare, and Telecoms. Present at every stage of project development from new-technology strategic planning through to manufacturing, Altran is able to capitalise on its expertise in four key domains: Product Lifecycle Management, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering & Embedded Systems and IT Systems. With a global network of 17,000 collaborators (including 15,000 consultants) and 500 major clients throughout the world, the Group reported sales of €1,420m in 2011. More info: www.altran.com

Thermocore Medical Systems NV, based in Ghent, Belgium, is active in the field of interventional cardiology and has developed a unique and novel, catheter-based system for the location and visualisation of unstable plaques within coronary arteries that are liable to cause heart attacks and death.

Thermocore Medical Systems NV recently raised venture capital funding to develop its Thermosense device. Funding was provided by a group of investors including the venture capital arm of the Bank of Cyprus.

For further information:

Cambridge Consultants

Patrick Pordage
Marketing Communications Director
Tel: +44 1223 420024
Patrick.Pordage@CambridgeConsultants.com