Cardiologist and President of Metropolitan Heart and Vascular Institute in Minneapolis joins the Visura team to support the advancement of the company’s real-time visualization solution for transesophageal echography (TEE) procedures
September 3, 2024 – Minneapolis, MN – Visura Technologies, Inc., a privately-held medical device company dedicated to delivering state-of-the-art visualization solutions to improve the safety and success of transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) probe intubations, announced today a new addition to their leadership team with Chad Olinger, DO joining the organization as Medical Director. Dr. Olinger brings nearly 20 years of medical practice and cardiac imaging expertise to Visura to support the development of the TEECAD solution for real-time visualization during TEE intubation at heart centers across the US.
“The inability to see the patient’s anatomy during TEE intubation has presented challenges to physicians for decades,” stated Dr. Olinger. “Clinical data clearly shows that procedures guided by visualization reduce esophageal injuries and improve first-pass success. The TEECAD solution is the first and only real-time visualization tool developed specifically for use during TEE procedures. I am excited to be a part of the Visura team and to help educate other physicians on the value of visualization during TEE intubation.”
Dr. Olinger is a board-certified cardiologist with nearly 20 years of clinical practice experience at Loyola University in Chicago, IL and the Metropolitan Heart and Vascular Institute (MHVI) in Minneapolis, MN. During his time at the MHVI, Dr. Olinger has served as the Director of Non-Invasive Imaging, the Vice Chair of Cardiology and is currently the President of the institute. He has also published and presented extensively on topics such as heart failure, valve repair and replacement, and cardiac imaging during TAVR procedures.
“The addition of Dr. Olinger to the Visura team brings essential clinical and medical leadership to the organization at an important time in the company’s growth, and I am thrilled to have him on board,” stated David Marmor, Visura Chief Medical Officer and Founder. “As we look to expand our commercial footprint across the United States, Dr. Olinger brings critical insights into the needs of clinicians and patients, ensuring that Visura continues to deliver advanced visualization solutions to improve the safety and efficacy of TEE procedures.”
Clinical data continues to support the need for sighted-TEE intubation to reduce TEE-related procedure complications and increase first pass intubation success. A Letter to the Editor in the Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia cited a study that demonstrated a 50% reduction in oropharyngeal injury and a 10% increase in first-attempt insertion success when procedures were guided by real-time visualization compared to blind intubation.
Visura’s TEECAD System is the world’s first disposable camera designed specifically for real-time visualization during TEE intubation. Compatible with all major TEE probe systems, it connects seamlessly to the probe to provide physicians with images of the esophagus and surrounding structures during intubation for more efficient and effective probe placement. There are over 1.5M TEE procedures performed annually in the U.S. with TEE procedures growing at an annual rate of 7%. Use of the TEECAD System for efficient and accurate probe placement supports first-pass intubation success and has the potential to reduce costly TEE-related complications.
About Visura Technologies
Visura is a privately held medical device company dedicated to delivering state-of-art visualization solutions to improve the safety and success of TEE probe intubation. Visura developed the TEECAD System, the world’s first and only, FDA-cleared, disposable camera that seamlessly connects to a TEE probe, providing physicians real-time visualization for more efficient and effective probe placement to support safer intubation. For more information, please visit www.visuratechnologies.com.
