Pioneering Cardiac Pacemaker System 

Cysoni heart failure treatment

Client: Ceryx Medical

Services:
Industrial Design & HFE
GUI Design
Electronics & Software Engineering
Mechanical Design
Systems Engineering

Ceryx Medical, a UK-based innovator in bioelectronics, is developing a cutting-edge cardiac pacemaker system designed to enhance heart function by mimicking the body’s natural rhythms. Leveraging Central Pattern Generator (CPG) technology, Ceryx aims to optimise heart and lung function, boosting cardiac performance and repair mechanisms in heart failure patients. Ceryx recently engaged Hydrix to help bring this groundbreaking concept closer to reality by taking their technology and developing a system suitable for their first-in-human (FIH) trials.

Ceryx sought to advance their cardiac pacemaker concept, which modulates heart rate and rhythm based on respiration, following promising animal trials. To gather human trial data and attract a manufacturing partner, they needed a simplified system capable of interfacing with external pacing devices. The core challenge was to design a system that could integrate complex real-time physiological data to enable the delivery of Ceryx’s therapeutic pacing rhythm while ensuring safety, and compliance in a medical environment.

Hydrix was tasked with developing an external system that minimised complexity while gathering accurate trial data, focusing on several key areas:

• System Integration: Timing the delivery of electrical pulses with millisecond precision was critical for the pacemaker to operate safely with the external device. To resolve this, Hydrix developed a high-resolution data capture system to ensure safe pulse delivery within narrow time windows.
• Algorithm Refinement & Signal Processing: Variations in respiration input between patients presented risks to the algorithm’s performance. Hydrix engineered a solution to clean the respiration input signals, ensuring the Ceryx chip functioned optimally under varying conditions.
• Patient Safety: The system was designed with robust fallback mechanisms, allowing it to revert to the external pacing device’s control if a mistimed pulse occurred, providing a safety net while maximizing the heart’s resilience.
• Portability: For real-world use, Hydrix ensured the device was compact and portable, integrating key components like the Ceryx chip and power supply into a single enclosure, allowing patients greater mobility during testing.
• Compliance & Hospital Safety: Ensuring EMC compatibility was essential to avoid interference with other medical devices in the hospital setting. Hydrix incorporated this requirement into the design to guarantee safe operation during trials.

Hydrix’s strategic design has allowed Ceryx to move confidently toward their first-in-human trials. The simplified, portable system provides a clear path to gather clinical data and validate Ceryx’s technology for future pacemaker integration. This collaboration exemplifies how expert-driven innovation can advance complex medical technologies from concept to real-world application.