Hyderabad’s Dr Nageswara Rao bags US patent for device treating cardiac defects in kids

Hyderabad: Hyderabad-based pediatric cardiologist, Dr Nageswara Rao Koneti, head of the Pediatric Cardiology at Rainbow Children’s Heart Institute, has received a United States patent for his breakthrough innovation, the KONAR-MF™ (Multifunctional) Occluder on June 4.

What is the device?

KONAR-MF Occluder is a device used to close septal defects in children and adults. The device is aimed at making advanced cardiac care affordable and accessible to patients of poor economic background in India and elsewhere.

The patents from Europe (EC), Euro-African countries and South Korea were received between 2021 and 2023, while the Indian patent was granted in February 2023 after rigorous clinical and technical evaluation, reflecting the device’s merit and real-world utility.

The KONAR-MF™ Occluder is now available in India at Rs 50,000. The price is lower than the global market prices, which range between Rs 1.2 and 6 lakhs.

Care for the structural heart defect closure

The KONAR-MF Occluder aims to address the clinical gaps in treatment by offering a single, adaptable solution to close a variety of defects, including perimembranous and muscular ventricular septal defects (VSDs), residual post-surgical defects, coronary arteriovenous fistulas, selected aortopulmonary windows, paravalvular leaks and systemic-to-pulmonary artery collaterals.

The advantage of the KONAR-MF is that, unlike traditional occluders designed for a single-purpose use, it adjusts dynamically to the shape and flow profile of each defect, allowing for more precise and safer deployment in diverse anatomical scenarios. This design reduces the risk of complications and improves patient outcomes.

Available across countries

The untreated congenital heart defects remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children in low- and middle-income countries. Due to the low cost and efficiency, the KONAR-MF Occluder is in use across the globe, including countries in Asia, Europe, Latin America, and Africa, with over 20 peer-reviewed studies confirming its safety and efficacy.

Its affordability makes it a critical tool in expanding access to care and reducing the burden of congenital heart disease, especially in low-resource settings.

According to a public notice, the device has the potential to reduce the disease burden of untreated congenital heart defects, thanks to its low cost of intervention, particularly in resource-constrained settings.

Awaiting access across North America

With the reception of the US patent, which involves a rigorous process involving extensive examination, validation of prior data and review of existing devices and publications, efforts are on to obtain the approval of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is essential for gaining access across North America.