Angiolink Corporation

Angiolink Corporation, established in 1999, was a privately held medical device company that focused on developing wound closure solutions for vascular procedures. Based in Taunton, Massachusetts, the company identified a critical need for safer and more efficient methods to close femoral artery access sites following catheter-based interventions like diagnostic angiography and stenting. This led to the development of its flagship product, the EVS™ (Expanding Vascular Stapling) Vascular Closure System.

The EVS system was engineered to provide an extraluminal closure of the femoral artery by applying a biocompatible titanium staple. This mechanical closure was designed to approximate the arteriotomy edges, promoting natural healing and significantly reducing the time to hemostasis and patient ambulation compared to traditional manual compression methods. The device consisted of a single-use, trigger-activated deployment tool and the staple itself, which remained sterile within the housing until application, minimizing the risk of contamination. The system was intended for use by physicians to close arterial punctures from 6F to 8F procedural sheaths.

Angiolink secured significant financial backing from investors including BioVentures Investors, JHK Investments, and IDP Investments, raising a total of $27.8 million over several funding rounds. A pivotal moment for the company occurred in late 2004 when it received FDA pre-market approval for the EVS system. Almost simultaneously, in November 2004, Angiolink was acquired by Medtronic, a global leader in medical technology. At the time of the acquisition, Angiolink employed 15 people and was poised to enter a vascular closure market estimated to be worth around $500 million. The acquisition integrated Angiolink's operations into Medtronic's Danvers, Massachusetts facility, leveraging Medtronic's scale to bring the EVS technology to a wider global market.

Keywords: Angiolink Corporation, EVS, Expanding Vascular Stapling, vascular closure device, femoral artery closure, Medtronic acquisition, medical device, arteriotomy closure, percutaneous staple, wound closure solutions, diagnostic angiography, interventional cardiology, titanium staple, hemostasis, BioVentures Investors, vascular surgery, catheterization, medtech, arterial puncture