ZOLL and Myant enter strategic R&D collaboration

ZOLL Medical Corp., Chelmsford MA, manufacturer of medical devices and related software solutions, has entered an exclusive strategic multi-year agreement with Myant Inc., a Toronto-based high-tech advanced manufacturing company. The arrangement will see both tech firms jointly develop technologies that will be leveraged in future generations of the ZOLL LifeVest wearable defibrillator. The LifeVest is worn by patients at risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD), providing protection during their changing condition and while permanent SCD risk has not been established. 

“This collaboration with Myant aligns with ZOLL’s longstanding commitment to research and development with the goal of improving patient outcomes,” commented Jason Whiting, president of ZOLL LifeVest. “We are excited to combine efforts with Myant and leverage their strong R&D capabilities, advanced manufacturing, and broad research capabilities from its Centers for Excellence in Canada and the US.”

“We are very proud of this exclusive agreement between Myant and ZOLL because it represents a collaboration between two companies taking a multidisciplinary approach to advance technologies for future generations of wearable defibrillators,” commented Tony Chahine, CEO and Founder of Myant. “We are blending the benefits of advancements in materials science, state-of-the art machines, yarn with nanotechnology, and advanced manufacturing. It is an honor to work with ZOLL, an extremely respected company and provider of FDA-approved, lifesaving medical devices.”

Blending advancements in materials science, state-of-the art machines, yarn with nanotechnology and advanced manufacturing

The LifeVest was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2001. Since that time, the LifeVest has been worn by hundreds of thousands of patients globally and has saved thousands of patients’ lives. Recommended use of the wearable defibrillator is included in the 2017 American Heart Association (AHA)/American College of Cardiology (ACC)/Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) Guideline for Management of Patients with Ventricular Arrhythmias and the Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death.

The LifeVest is used for a wide range of patient conditions or situations, including following a myocardial infarction, before or after coronary revascularization, and for those with cardiomyopathy or congestive heart failure that places them at particular risk. The LifeVest allows patients to return to their common activities of daily living, while having the peace of mind that they are protected from SCD. The LifeVest continuously monitors the patient’s heart and, if a life-threatening heart rhythm is detected, the device delivers a treatment shock to restore normal heart rhythm.

Myant’s approach to product innovation starts from molecule to garment, textile to comfort. The company focuses on advancing human connectedness to the Internet of Things. Myant is establishing the world’s leading innovation hub for designing, developing, and producing connected textile-based products. It will lead the creation of Canadian and American university-affiliated textile technology Centers for Excellence to connect industry to innovation. These centers will provide state-of-the-art, end-to-end production facilities; offer access to machines, tools, and expertise; develop new curriculum and gold standards; and facilitate the making of ideas to promote true transformational change.