New Device Firm Launches With $4M in Seed Funding and NIH Grant

A new medical device company is hoping to transform urological care.

Bright Uro is on a mission to improve care for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) through innovations in urodynamics. The company has begun operations with the help of $4 million in seed financing from Academy Investor Network, Fred Moll, and several other prominent angel investors. Bright Uro has also been awarded a $2 million Phase II SBIR grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
 
The company has obtained an exclusive licensing agreement from Cleveland Clinic for technology Cleveland Clinic developed in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs, Case Western Reserve University, and Parker Hannifin Corporation, which Bright Uro will use in its investigational Glean Urodynamics System.

“With 80% of urologists understanding the flaws in current urodynamics practices, it has become clear that the current standard of care leaves much to be desired.³ Bright Uro aims to improve the quality, accuracy, and efficiency of the care urology patients receive, and we have the unique opportunity to become a leader in this field,” said Derek Herrera, a former Marine Raider (Special Operations Officer) and the founder and CEO of Bright Uro. “The market is large and underserved, with tens of millions of Americans suffering from lower urinary tract conditions, so we are excited about the potential of the Glean Urodynamics System to have a meaningful impact on patient care and the healthcare system.”
 
Urodynamic tests are completed for patients with urine leaks, bladder emptying complications, urine flow issues, and other lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) to measure how well the bladder, sphincters, and urethra hold and release urine. Millions of Americans experience LUTS associated with overactive bladder (OAB), benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and more.^1,2 However, urodynamics are often underused due to cost, inaccuracy, and patient discomfort.
 
“Bright Uro fulfills the promise of digital health, with more accurate and flexible diagnosis, at a decreased cost. The technology enables more comprehensive and real-time data that will lead to more accurate diagnosis, and Bright Uro will eventually move the urodynamics exam out of the urologists’ office and into the patients’ home, which will save the health system money,” said Sherman Williams, managing partner at Academy Investor Network.
 
Bright Uro’s Glean Urodynamics System is designed to improve the patient and clinician experience with increased accuracy and comfort. The comprehensive system enables wireless, catheter-free urodynamics designed with the goal of fundamentally changing the standard of care and treatment selection process associated with lower urinary tract symptoms and diseases. The Glean system consists of an insertion tool, a Bluetooth®-enabled pressure sensor in a flexible silicone tube, a software app for use by clinicians and patients, and a uroflowmeter to sense volume and flow. Bright Uro aims to improve the patient and clinician experience with increased accuracy and comfort.
 
Bright Uro has obtained exclusivity to the catheter-free method used with the Glean system through a licensing agreement with Cleveland Clinic. This catheter-free design of Glean may enable physicians to gather more ambulatory data with greater physiologic accuracy than the standard of care for urodynamics.
 
Based in Aliso Viejo, Calif., Bright Uro’s investigational Glean Urodynamics System is designed to enable wireless, catheter-free urodynamics monitoring, with the ultimate goal of improving patient comfort and clinical outcomes. 

References 
¹ Overactive Bladder | University Urology Associates of New Jersey
² Data Suggest That Men Should Resolve to Address Their BPH Symptoms in 2019 – Neotract
³ Ambulatory urodynamic monitoring: state of the art and future directions