Avinger Adds Surgeon Entrepreneur to Board

Redwood City, Calif.-based Avinger Inc., which makes image-guided, catheter-based systems to treat peripheral arterial disease, has elected Thomas J. Fogarty, M.D. to its board of directors.

Fogarty, a cardiovascular surgeon, inventor, and entrepreneur, has been involved with a wide spectrum of innovations, including the balloon embolectomy catheter, and is the founder of more than 45 medical device companies. He is currently the chairman of the Fogarty Institute for Innovation and also serves as a managing director of Emergent Medical Partners, a life sciences investment firm that focuses on medical device and healthcare companies. Previously, Fogarty has held positions as president of medical staff at Stanford University Medical Center, and director of cardiovascular surgery at Sequoia Medical Center.

“Tom has been a leader and innovator in the treatment of cardiovascular disease for decades. His obsession with innovation aimed toward improving patient outcomes is indisputable and fits perfectly into our way of thinking at Avinger. We are excited and view it to be a privilege to have Dr. Fogarty bring his valuable perspective to our board of directors,” said John Simpson, M.D., Ph.D., executive chairman of Avinger. “I could not imagine a better partner than Tom as we embark on this journey to radically change the way vascular disease is treated through our unique lumivascular approach. I am thrilled to have him on our team.”

“I look forward to working with John and the Avinger team, as we share a passion for developing technology that directly benefits patients,” said Fogarty. “Avinger is emerging as a true leader and innovator in the treatment of vascular disease and I am delighted to join them in this exciting stage of their development.”

Fogarty has published approximately 180 scientific articles and textbook chapters in fields of general and cardiovascular surgery, and has acquired 165 surgical instrument patents for his innovative work. His patents include the “industry standard” Fogarty balloon embolectomy catheter (now owned by Edwards Lifesciences), and the widely used Aneurx Stent Graft (now owned by Medtronic).

Fogarty is the recipient of numerous awards and honors. Most significantly, he is the recipient of the Jacobson Innovation Award of the American College of Surgeons, the 2000 Lemelson-MIT prize for Invention and Innovation, and the Presidential National Medal of Technology and Innovation. He was inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame in December 2001. Fogarty received his undergraduate education at Xavier University and his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati. He completed his residency at the University of Oregon.