RealView Imaging, which develops 3D holograms for use in medical treatment, announced that it had raised $10 million in a financing round led by Chinese fund LongTec, together with the company's previous investors and a number of new private investors. LongTec founder and managing partner Peggy Wang will join the company board of directors.
RealView makes possible to view a 3D holographic image that "floats in the air" in front of the doctor's eyes, with no special eyeglasses or screen, and enables him to see the anatomy of the organ involved (so far, mostly the heart has been involved) in a manner very closely resembling the actual organ, based on information from the existing imaging devices. A trial conducted on eight patients showed that such a hologram is precise enough to help doctors make clinical decisions during surgery. The doctors can examine the three-dimensional heart from all directions, turn it around by hand, and make various markings on it. When any action is performed on the actual heart, its effect can also be viewed immediately on the hologram image.
RealView was founded in 2008 by CEO Aviad Kaufman, president and VP R&D Shaul Gelman, and scientific director Dr. Carmel Rotschild, with a seed investment from chairman Dr. Shimon Eckhouse. The company conducted its clinical trial together with Philips Healthcare and Schneider's Children Medical Center. "We're now planning to bring our products to market for the first time," Eckhouse said today in the company's announcement. "We're delighted with the cooperation with LongTec, in view of their extensive know-how in the international medical markets and their strategic positioning in the Chinese market."
LongTec has invested in a number of Israel technology companies in the health field to date, including Sensible Medical Innovations.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on November 25, 2014
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2014