CyberHeart

About CyberHeart

Founded in 2006, CyberHeart, Inc. operated as a medical device company focused on developing a non-invasive radiosurgical system for treating cardiac arrhythmias. The company was co-founded by the prolific medical device innovator Dr. Thomas Fogarty and Rod Young, who also served as CEO. Young brought extensive executive experience from the medical device industry, having previously led multiple startups to successful acquisitions. The company's initial President and CEO was Patrick Maguire, M.D., Ph.D., a cardiac surgeon with a background in developing novel medical technologies.

CyberHeart's core business revolved around creating a robotic ablation treatment for conditions like atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia. This technology was designed to replace invasive catheter-based procedures with a completely external, radiation-based approach. The system utilized proprietary software in conjunction with Accuray's CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System to deliver highly targeted radiation beams to ablate, or destroy, the small areas of heart tissue responsible for causing abnormal electrical signals. A key feature was its ability to dynamically track and compensate for the heart's movement, ensuring the precise delivery of radiation. The target clientele for this system included radiation oncologists, electrophysiologists, and cardiac surgeons.

Throughout its history, CyberHeart secured significant financing to fund its development and clinical trials. It raised a total of $11.2 million over three rounds, including a $9 million Series A in January 2008. Key investors included Emergent Medical Partners, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital, and Western Technology Investment. In May 2019, the company was acquired by Varian Medical Systems for an undisclosed amount. Varian, a leader in radiation oncology solutions, made the acquisition to secure CyberHeart's intellectual property and patents covering the use of radiation in cardiac applications, viewing cardiac radioablation as a promising new frontier in medicine.