OUR FOUNDING TEAM
Dr. Brian Courtney and Dr. Aman Thind came together in 2007 to build the foundation for a medical device company.
Valued Partnerships
Brian and Aman found out very early in their partnership that they could work well together and complemented each other’s abilities.
They were good at identifying solutions to complex problems with true clinical impact. Brian and Aman also realized the importance of partnerships clinically, academically as well as with government and industry. With this, they decided to build a company together that would build on these partnerships and allow for development of critically important medical devices in Canada.
Conavi's Story
Conavi Receives Late-Stage Innovation Grant from CMA
Conavi Medical is the recipient of the Late-Stage Innovation Grant from the Canadian Medical Association’s Joule Innovation Group. The Joule Innovation grant will give Conavi an opportunity to scale and solve medical challenges worldwide.
See the announcement here
Japanese Sales Strategy of Novasight Hybrid™ System Announced
Conavi Medical is pleased to announce that Japan Lifeline has submitted an application for the regulatory approval of the Novasight HybridTM intravascular imaging system in Japan. In addition, Japan Lifeline will serve as the exclusive distributor of the Novasight Hybrid intravascular imaging system in Japan. Novasight Hybrid is the world’s first system to have been used clinically that is capable of providing both intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) on a single imaging catheter. Earlier this year, the Novasight Hybrid system received FDA 510(k) clearance in the United States and was featured by Conavi Medical at the TCT 2018 Interventional Cardiology conference.
“In PCI (Percutaneous Coronary Intervention) in Japan, imaging catheters are used in more than 90% of all cases. The Novasight Hybrid system is the world’s first and unique device as a single disposable catheter combined with both IVUS and OCT functions, enabling physicians to observe the same lesions simultaneously in the coronary artery. In Japan, only one of either IVUS or OCT is covered by reimbursement for one procedure, so we believe that Novasight Hybrid system will perform to the best of the needs in clinical settings in the near future” said Keisuke Suzuki, President and Chief Executive Officer of Japan Lifeline. “We are very keen to expand our intervention business more than ever. In March this year, we launched drug eluting stents. With the Novasight Hybrid system newly added to our product portfolio, we expect to accelerate sales of the existing products too.”
See the announcement here
First Clinical Use of Novasight Hybrid™ System
Conavi Medical is pleased to announce the first clinical use of the Novasight HybridTM System, which enables simultaneous imaging of coronary arteries with both intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). IVUS or OCT are typically used by interventional cardiologists to image coronary anatomy during minimally invasive procedures, such as angiograms, angioplasty and stenting procedures. Drs. Tej Sheth and Natalia Pinilla Echeverri are co-investigators at Hamilton General Hospital where the procedures were performed under a Health Canada Investigational Testing Authorization. The technology originated from Dr. Courtney’s laboratory at Sunnybrook Research Institute in Toronto and is being commercialized by Conavi Medical.
”The Novasight Hybrid imaging catheter is a deliverable imaging system that is able to rapidly and simultaneously acquire co-registered IVUS and OCT images,” says Dr. Sheth. “In this study, we are collecting the first human images with this novel imaging system to confirm the functionality of the technology in the clinical environment and to help inform future studies. We have been able to identify some early examples of the synergies between these two modalities in our clinical experience so far. Ultimately, hybrid IVUS/OCT imaging has the potential to overcome the limitations of IVUS or OCT alone in accurately characterizing atherosclerotic tissue and in guiding coronary interventions.”
See the announcement here
MedTech Innovator Selects Conavi for 2018 Showcase
Conavi Medical is pleased to announce that we are among the 50 companies selected by MedTech Innovator to participate in the organization’s 2018 showcase. MedTech Innovator is a non-profit organization designed to identify and support innovative early-stage medical device companies. As part of our selection, the Conavi team will attend several MedTech Innovator conferences and events to pursue opportunities for mentorship and support from healthcare industry leaders.
Novasight Hybrid™ System Receives FDA 510(k) Clearance
Conavi receives 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for our Novasight Hybrid System. The system enables simultaneous imaging of coronary arteries with both intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). IVUS or OCT are typically used by interventional cardiologists to image coronary anatomy during angioplasty and stenting procedures.
Dr. Courtney continues, “This regulatory clearance represents an important milestone for the company as we build a portfolio of image guidance products for cardiovascular procedures. We are delighted to now be able to offer physicians in the USA the opportunity to use the Novasight Hybrid System to obtain intravascular images of coronary arteries as part of their care for patients undergoing interventional procedures.”
Conavi Enters into Distribution Agreement with China Grand Pharmaceutical and Healthcare
Conavi announces that we have entered into an agreement with an affiliate of China Grand Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Holdings Limited (CG Healthcare) to serve as the exclusive distributor of our Foresight ICE System and Novasight Hybrid System in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau.
Conavi’s Foresight ICE System has received 510(k) clearances from the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and a Medical Device License from Health Canada and is currently being marketed in North America. The Novasight Hybrid System combines the two most frequently used intravascular imaging technologies, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT), into a single catheter and platform. The Novasight Hybrid System has been submitted to the US FDA for 510(k) clearance.
Foresight ICE™ System Receives FDA Clearance for Expanded Feature Set
Conavi announces 510(k) clearance from the FDA for our Foresight ICE System expanded feature set. The enhancements include Color Doppler, Pulsed Wave Doppler, 2D and 3D measurements, and ECG-gated 3D image acquisition. These enhancements are expected to help electrophysiologists and interventional cardiologists in the US by providing them with the tools to make decisions during minimally invasive cardiovascular procedures.
“This system is the world’s first intracardiac echo system with the capability to acquire 2D and 3D images with a broad field-of-view that includes both side-viewing and forward-looking capabilities. We have now expanded upon this foundation by adding image quality enhancements, features to minimize the effects of cardiac motion and the inclusion of additional imaging modes.” says Dr. Brian Courtney, CEO of Conavi.
The system’s indication for use has been expanded to include the ability to assess physiology with its new Doppler capabilities. Dr. Courtney continues, “The addition of Doppler imaging and flow quantification greatly expands the range of clinical scenarios in which Conavi’s Foresight ICE System can be used. As a result, we are the only provider of rotational ICE that provides Doppler capabilities, and thus benefit from being able to target regions of the cardiac anatomy anywhere around the 360-degree field-of-view of our catheter. The achievement of this 510(k) clearance demonstrates Conavi’s commitment to being a highly responsive source of imaging technologies to physicians performing electrophysiology procedures, structural heart interventions and other cardiovascular procedures that stand to benefit from image guidance.”
Conavi Partners with Nova Scotia Health Authority and Government of Canada
Conavi announces that we are spearheading a collaborative effort to develop an imaging and tissue cutting probe for guided cardiovascular surgeries. The miniaturized probe leverages ultrasound technology for both imaging and precision cutting, allowing physicians to diagnose and treat serious conditions in a minimally invasive manner.
The Government of Canada is investing $2.6+ million over five years in the Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) to develop the endoscope prototype. Throughout the development, Conavi will lend our medical and technological expertise to assist the NSHA in taking the solution from concept to creation. Upon creation, Conavi will commercialize the solution for cardiovascular surgical applications, allowing patients worldwide to benefit from improved clinical outcomes.
Fellow Toronto-based company Synaptive Medical will also assist in developing the solution and will likewise commercialize the solution for neurological applications.
Read more here.
Foresight ICE™ System Receives Health Canada Clearance
Conavi announces that we are now authorized to market and sell the Foresight ICE™ System in Canada. The Foresight ICE System is the first catheter-based ultrasound system capable of providing both 2D and 3D ultrasound images of cardiac anatomy around the circumference of the catheter’s tip.
The authorization comes from Health Canada—Canada’s federal regulator responsible for monitoring and evaluating the safety, effectiveness, and quality of diagnostic and therapeutic medical devices. After evaluating the Foresight ICE System, Health Canada granted a Canadian Medical Device License (MDL)—giving us the clearance needed to market the solution in our home country of Canada.
“Attaining Health Canada approval for our Foresight ICE System represents a key milestone in our mission to provide Canadian physicians with superior visual guidance to achieve improved clinical outcomes” says Murray Maynard, President and CEO of Conavi Medical. “Not only does this approval allow us to begin marketing our technology in Canada, but a device license in our domestic market is key to obtaining regulatory approval in other jurisdictions.”
DAIC Recognizes Conavi’s Innovation
Conavi is pleased to announce that our Foresight ICE System has been identified by Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiology (DAIC) as among the most innovative new technologies at the 2016 Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) meeting in Washington, DC.
Recognizing the clinical significance of our solution, DAIC singles out the Foresight ICE System in a video posted to its website. See the video here (we appear at the 3:18 mark).
Conavi is Built on Leadership

Dr. Brian Courtney
Executive Chairman,
Co-founder

Dr. Aman Thind
CTO,
Co-founder
Executive Team

Stefano E. Picone, CPA/CA
Vice President, Finance & Business Development

Morteza Aval, P. Eng
Director, Software

Althea Lawrence
Director, Quality & Regulatory

Travis More
Director, Human Resources

Gus Likogiannis
Director, Production and Supply Chain

Dale Morgan
Director, Quality Engineering

Jessica Tang
Director, Hardware Systems Development
Board of Directors
Brian Courtney
Executive Chairman
Cameron Piron
President, Synaptive Medical
Craig Podolsky
Partner, CPOINT Capital
Serena Song
Director of Operations, CardioNavi MedTech (Wuhan) Co., Ltd.
Robert D. Mitchell
Former CEO Nellix, COO Angiodynamics, SVP Cook Medical
Aaron Davidson
CFO and SVP, Profound Medical
Susan Allen
FCPA, CPA, ICD.D.