(Vienna, 30 June 2026) Krishnaraj Narayanaswamy from the Department of Cardiac and Thoracic Aortic Surgery at MedUni Vienna took third place at this year’s Demo Day organised by the xbio incubator programme. He presented the project “The Two Stage Blood Pump” – a novel implantable ventricular heart pump for patients with severe heart failure – to a high-calibre panel of expert judges.
The patent-pending invention addresses key limitations of existing cardiac support systems: it aims to solve the durability issue of conventional systems and offer a safe long-term alternative for patients for whom a heart transplant is not available, or not immediately available. Particular focus is placed on patient groups that have been underserved to date. These include children with severe heart failure, for whom fully implantable long-term solutions are currently available only to a very limited extent, as well as patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), for whom effective mechanical support is particularly challenging.
The project is based on the development of a miniaturised two-stage blood pump. The two-stage pumping concept is designed to achieve the required pressure output even at low flow rates, which are particularly relevant for paediatric patients. The aim is to develop an implantable system that reliably supports cardiac circulation, reduces complications and enables patients to return from hospital to their everyday lives sooner.
‘The Two-Stage Blood Pump’ thus exemplifies translational medical technology at the interface of cardiac surgery, biomedical engineering and clinical needs. The development is intended to help bridge a gap in care for severe heart failure and open up new treatment prospects for patients for whom current therapies are insufficient.
The xbio Demo Day marks the conclusion of the xbio Masterclass. This practice-oriented programme supports academic researchers and aspiring entrepreneurs in developing scientific discoveries and inventions into viable biotech and medtech start-ups. In intensive sessions, participants acquire core skills in areas including business planning, IP and patent law, regulatory requirements, funding readiness and pitch training. The programme was founded by xista in 2023; MedUni Vienna is a partner and part of the xbio network, which includes other Austrian universities, research institutions, incubators and venture capitalists.
About the person
Krishnaraj Narayanaswamy is a PhD candidate at the Department of Cardiac and Thoracic Aortic Surgery at MedUni Vienna and a member of the CARE team (Cardiovascular Research and Engineering). His research focuses on the development of mechanical cardiac support systems for patients with heart failure who have not yet received adequate care.