Tritheter Joins MDC Studio

The Maryland Development Center (MDC) is pleased to announce the addition of Tritheter, Inc. to its portfolio. Tritheter is a new company joining MDC after graduating from the FedTech Accelerator. Tritheter, Inc. was founded to commercialize a novel sampling catheter technology invented by a physician at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Memphis, Tennessee.

Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) of a lung subsegment using a fiberoptic bronchoscope via an airway is a sensitive tool in diagnosing lower respiratory tract infections. To reach the bronchial tree, however, the bronchoscope must transverse regions where resident bacteria are likely to be introduced into the suction channel of the instrument. A large percentage of samples are contaminated with bacteria, limiting the value of BAL in diagnosing bacterial pneumonia. The Tritheter solution addresses this problem in two ways: using a two-axis steering mechanism to maneuver the bronchoscope through the airway to reach the correct lung region with low probability of injury; and “Steri-Tip” – a novel biodegradable plug to collect uncontaminated samples. A camera and display screen allow the user to visualize the process.

Tritheter joined MDC for support with prototype development and startup support. MDC Founding Partners Dr. Richard Macko, Dr. Charlene-Hafer Macko, and Dr. Aldo Iacono are supporting the Tritheter group.

“We are delighted to bring Tritheter into MDC. The Company founders have extensive corporate experience, compelling IP, and a business model vetted through the FedTech Accelerator Program,” said Gil Blankenship, MDC Founder.

About the MDC Studio

The MDC Studio is the operational unit of the Maryland Development Center Partnership, which was founded in 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland. MDC Studio functions as a MedTech Startup Studio that provides engineering support, business development services, and funding to create and support companies commercializing medical devices. The Studio works with inventors to develop their ideas into working prototypes and marketable products and form companies that will grow and create value for both their shareholders and all of society. MDC Studio Baltimore is located in the historic Wilkens-Robins building in the heart of Baltimore, near the University of Maryland Medical Center, and Johns Hopkins University where MDC’s founding partners and affiliates practice, teach, and research state of the art surgery and medicine.