CorFlux predicts aortic ruptures and aims for the global market

CorFlux is a joint project of the University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio University Hospital and JAMK University of Applied Sciences with an important goal: to develop an analysis to predict aortic ruptures. Aortic rupture is one of the common causes of death worldwide, and well over 1 billion euros is spent on aortic aneurysm follow-ups in Europe alone. Therefore, the global market for a tool to assess the aortic rupture risk is in the billions of euros.

CorFlux is based on heart surgery research led by Professor Marja Hedman at the University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital as well as the work on mathematical modelling and computational fluid dynamics of Principal Researcher, Docent Matti Kurki and his team at JAMK University of Applied Sciences. The collaboration has led to a model that predicts aortic ruptures and to an algorithm that is at the core of the commercialisation project.

At present, there is no effective analytical tool on the market to predict the risk of aortic rupture in individual patients. Therefore, hospitals must perform repeated aneurysm follow-ups, which leads up to longer queues and results in substantial costs to national economies – and ruptures occur despite the follow-ups.

The CorFlux analysis utilizes the patient’s medical data and an MRI or CT scan to create a digital model and an estimate of the aortic rupture risk based on the algorithm. The goal is to have the product included in everyday clinical decision-making. With CorFlux, patients with the highest risk can be sent to surgery in time, which helps to save lives. Average-risk patients can in turn stay in the follow-up, while the frequency of follow-up on low-risk patients can be decreased or stopped altogether. This frees up resources for other purposes.

Team experts complement each other

Marja Hedman is a cardiologist, and since 2017, she has focused on aortic aneurysm research as Research Professor at UEF. Interest in medical innovations and the development of imaging methods laid the foundation for the CorFlux project.

“An aneurysm can occur in any part of the aorta, but our research focuses primarily on the dilatation of the ascending aorta close to the heart. We started to study the factors that increase the likelihood of the dilatation and who is susceptible to a dangerous dilatation of the aorta and aortic ruptures. We met in a pilot project of JAMK that combined computational fluid dynamics and clinical research,” Hedman says.

With a background in technology engineer, Matti Kurki brings an understanding of mathematical modelling, vessel structures and fluid dynamics to the project.

“CorFlux is a very interesting project. The plasticity of the walls of blood vessels poses its own challenges, but the model is based on circulation and rupture prediction, so it can also be expanded and utilized elsewhere,” Kurki explains.

The CorFlux team consists of experts in various fields – researchers, application developers, experts in business and regulation – who all complement each other in an insightful way. In addition to Hedman and Kurki, the core team includes Professor of Signal and Image Processing Pasi Karjalainen, who mentors the project's commercialisation process, and Business Developer Tero Puustinen, who oversees the business development, both from UEF. Nora Rauhala and Lari Kujanen in turn bring regulatory competence to the team, and Tomi Nieminen’s expertise lies in numerical computing.

Pasi Karjalainen has a background as a physicist, and he heads the HUMEA Laboratory at UEF. In his eyes, piloting innovations into start-ups is also on his list of tasks. Karjalainen has been involved in the first steps of several research-based health technology companies, such as Adamant Health Oy. Kubios Oy and Heart2Save Oy have also originated from the work of the HUMEA Laboratory researchers. Karjalainen has helped the CorFlux team in applying for funding, team building and regulation, which is a key part of health technology.

“The team's idea must be developed into such a strong prototype that it can be entered into a quality management system, according to which the documentation for the CE marking is drawn up,” Karjalainen describes the critical steps of CorFlux.

Tero Puustinen in an entrepreneur and coach in top-level sports, and he brings business development expertise to the team. Entrepreneurial experience is also what unites the team members.

"For me, the project is like a top athlete who we as a team are pushing towards success. In that sense, there are similarities,” Puustinen describes.

The team's enthusiasm, efficiency and expertise have made it possible for CorFlux to come this far. According to Hedman, finding a common language between medical, physics and business experts has been surprisingly easy.

“I'm used to working with physicists and mathematicians. Discussing blood flow in vessels with an engineer is easy, for example. Business is the furthest away from my expertise, but that’s why we have a multi-professional team,” Hedman states.

Strong expertise in clinical research has also built greater trust in CorFlux’s idea. For example, a collaboration agreement related to the project is on the works with the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.

Support from SPARK Finland, Business Finland and the university

CorFlux is making determined progress towards the market. In spring 2021, the project was included in the SPARK Finland development programme, and the University of Eastern Finland granted it Proof of Concept funding (POC) the same year. The POC funding was used to hire economist Eetu Hyöky, who conducted a market, competition and patenting study for CorFlux. Last spring, CorFlux received Research to Business funding from Business Finland.

“I believe that we can make great progress in terms of regulation, prepare for the CE marking application and carry out the clinical testing and validation of the algorithm with the Business Finland project funding. The functionality of the method becomes clearer with actual patient data. Aortic illnesses are insidious in the sense that they don't cause symptoms, so high-risk patients must be identified in time. As someone who does clinical work, I've seen a great need for such a risk assessment tool,” Hedman says.

According to Pasi Karjalainen's roadmap, the project will enter a funding round after the regulation and patenting work or in about 12 months.

“As the product is scalable, the goal is to become a growth company. Founding a start-up usually requires seed funding from investors and a bit of support from society. That’s usually enough for the next year and a half. The faster we get funding, the less time we need to spend unemployed and we avoid the dispersal of the team,” Karjalainen estimates.

Senior Innovation Advisor Irina Lavikainen and Business Cooperation Coordinator Heli Laine from UEF see CorFlux as a model student in many ways: the project has made effective use of the support and funding available for innovations. The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Services of UEF provide diverse support for commercialising research, such as advice on invention notices, funding opportunities and searching for mentors.

“CorFlux is moving forward like a locomotive. The team has been built well, and you need a great team to convince the funders,” Lavikainen says.

Y Science provides a quality label

Next, the CorFlux team will step into the limelight at the final of the Y Science 2022 pitching competition at the Helsinki Fair Centre on 17 November.

Y Science is an official side-event of the renowned technology and growth company event Slush. The pitching competition will feature the best researched-based potential companies in the health sector.

"We are in the top four in the Y Science competition, which is a stamp of quality in the eyes of the funders,” Karjalainen points out.

Further information about CorFlux

Marja Hedman, Professor, CorFlux project leader, University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital, marja.hedman@kuh.fi, tel. +358 44 717 9341

You can find more information about the project on the CorFlux website.

Further information about the innovation activities of the University of Eastern Finland

Heli Laine, Business Cooperation Coordinator, University of Eastern Finland, heli.laine@uef.fi, tel. +358 50 533 8891

Irina Lavikainen, Senior Innovation Advisor, University of Eastern Finland, irina.laviviviinen@uef.fi, tel. +358 50 400 1539

You can find more information about the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Services of UEF online.

Further information about the SPARK development programme and the innovation environment of the HUMEA Laboratory

Pasi Karjalainen, Professor, Department of Applied Physics, University of Eastern Finland, pasi.karjalainen@uef.fi, tel. +358 40 550 4347

Further information about the HUMEA Laboratory.