PulseMedica was founded by Dr. Abdul Elezzabi, Dr. Nir Katchinskiy and Mr. Eric Martin in 2020.

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Abdul is a tenured professor at the University of Alberta where he has been researching the interaction of femtosecond laser pulses with tissue since 2004. His work consists of laser tissue interaction, cell surgery and creation of pores using laser pulses. Nir completed his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering under the supervision of Abdul, where he researched the application of femtosecond laser pulses in cell and tissue engineering, cell and neuron attachment, cell fusion/hemifusion, and drug delivery. 

 

In 2014, Abdul and Nir started researching a treatment for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) using femtosecond laser pulses by ablating drusen deposits in retinal tissue. Their research results demonstrated great promise. Using the learnings from this research, Nir designed and developed a methodology for treating various ocular conditions (including AMD and glaucoma) using femtosecond laser pulses. Nir was compelled to commercialize this novel treatment approach so he began searching for existing imaging and laser delivery technologies with which he could integrate femtosecond lasers for eye treatment. After a comprehensive review, Nir concluded  there weren't any existing technologies that allowed for complete visualization of the eye in real-time, with the accuracy required to deliver precise laser pulses deep into the eye. Hence, he decided to build an image guided laser delivery platform, where he could visualize any part of the eye and monitor the therapeutic effect of a laser in real time. In addition to integrating with femtosecond lasers and allowing for the treatment of AMD and glaucoma, this platform could be integrated with many different laser technologies and enable radically more precise laser treatment of various vitreoretinal diseases. The idea for an image guided surgical platform like this created excitement amongst various ophthalmologists.

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In 2020, Eric Martin was completing his MBA in Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Alberta and, as part of the program, was supporting startups through the Creative Destruction Lab - Rockies (CDL-R). Eric was connected with Nir as he was participating in the CDL-R cohort. As a result of CDL-R mentorship, a passionate dedication to enact change for those suffering from eye diseases, and a complementary skill set, Nir and Eric were able to officially launch the company and set forth to significantly accelerate the business which led to a successful pre-seed round in the Fall of 2020. 

 

PulseMedica would like to thank the University of Alberta and all the donors who provided unparalleled support along the way.