RIVANNA®, developers of world-first, imaging-based medical solutions, announced they received a $2.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The grant will further the development of Accuro® 3S, designed for image-guided regional anesthesia, to broaden access to opioid-sparing analgesia for hip fracture pain.
Each year, over 330,000 Americans face hospitalization due to hip fractures, requiring immediate pain management and surgery for mobility restoration and mortality risk reduction. Conventional treatment involves parenteral opioids, which increase adverse events, including recurrent opioid use. Ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia (UGRA), like the pericapsular nerve group (PENG) block, provides an effective opioid-free alternative for 300,000 patients annually. However, barriers to UGRA adoption persist due to provider experience and specialized training limitations.
Accuro 3S represents a technological advancement designed to address UGRA barriers by equipping healthcare providers with workflow intelligence for hip regional anesthesia; this will effectively reduce training requirements, streamline workflow and enhance the utilization of hip regional anesthesia for hip fracture pain. Notable innovations within the Accuro 3S system include AI-based reconstructions of hip anatomy, real-time needle guidance with automated identification of essential anatomical landmarks and a novel ultrasound probe.
“Considering that more than one million PENG blocks are performed annually across 5,000 U.S. emergency departments, there is a pressing need to expand opioid-sparing UGRA for hip fracture pain, enhancing accessibility to safer medical procedures and improving patient outcomes,” commented Will Mauldin, PhD, co-founder and CEO of RIVANNA. “Our technology is well-positioned to bridge a crucial gap in healthcare delivery and expand the range of Accuro 3S clinical applications, unlocking a significant U.S. market opportunity estimated at $295 million annually.”
This funding opportunity is part of the NIH HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-term) Initiative and is supported by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases under Award Number R44AR083337.