People suffering from narrowed or semi-blocked arteries in their legs can find themselves in a vicious cycle – not doing any exercise because of the pain it entails, but finding that the lack of activity only exacerbates the condition.

A newly developed implant that sits just under the skin on the leg is intended to dilate and enhance blood flow through those narrowed arteries with ultrasonic waves, allowing crucial oxygen-rich blood to reach the lower limbs and ease the pain.

Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) is a condition that restricts the flow of oxygenated blood from the heart to the legs, causing pain when exercising as the muscles do not receive sufficient oxygen for the motion – a disorder known as claudication.

PAD is most commonly the result of narrowed or blocked arteries (occlusions) caused by a buildup of fatty deposits in the vessels known as atherosclerosis. And according to the American Heart Association, some 200 million people around the world are affected by PAD.

The implant is the creation of nascent startup NovaPulse, an Israeli company founded last year under the auspices of the MEDX Xelerator incubator, based in the central city of Or Yehuda.

Once inserted in a simple procedure, the sensor inside the NovaPulse implant activates the sound waves as soon as the patient begins to move, MEDX Chief Technology Officer Gal Atarot tells NoCamels.

Keep reading at nocamels.com.

MEDX Xelerator is a medical-device-focused incubator and investor operating under the Israel Innovation Authority. MEDX Xelerator CEO Shai Policker and CTO Gal Atarot are both Technion alumni.