A patient who suffered a severe heart attack and the senior cardiologist who saved his life met during a dramatic moment in the catheterization lab and decided to join forces to change the face of global medicine. Today, they lead a groundbreaking Israeli startup that has developed a tiny robotic capsule capable of operating inside the human body. Driven by burning faith and a shared vision. We set out to meet the unique team behind this company.
Call it science fiction, call it unprecedented engineering audacity, or perhaps it is simply a rare and wondrous coincidence. Either way, the story of this company is one you simply must read.
It all began when a doctor and a patient crossed paths in the most dramatic setting imaginable: the catheterization lab. Shortly after that life-altering event, the two found themselves sitting together around a single table. Their goal was not to recap the medical ordeal they had just been through, but to focus on a much grander objective: revolutionizing the way medical procedures are performed in the future. We highly recommend memorizing the name: Nivat Medical Device Ltd.
We were surprised to discover how quietly and under the radar, despite the immense challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the shadow of the severe war Israel has endured and is still facing, a fascinating Israeli company is operating. The company has registered a central, unique patent called the "Working Capsule". This is, in fact, an entire technological platform from which six different patents have already been derived and approved in Israel, the United States, Europe, and China.
From Agricultural Machinery to the Operating Room
To understand the roots of this venture, we must go back a few years. Nir Sadan suffered a very severe heart attack. The man who treated him during those critical moments was Dr. Yoav Turgeman, who served at the time as the Director of the Cardiology Department at Emek Medical Center in Afula. Nir's vitals were dropping, and the situation was complex and perilous, yet the medical procedure was a success. However, for Nir, this formative event did not end upon his discharge from the hospital.
During the early days of his recovery, Nir began sketching an innovative concept. Hailing from a family that has been developing agricultural machinery since 1956 under the name "N. Sadan," Nir is accustomed to mechanical and applied thinking. He identified an engineering principle that he believed could be adapted and transferred to the medical world. The idea was to develop a tiny capsule capable of opening in a controlled manner inside the human body, thus serving as an advanced platform for a wide range of medical treatments.
Nir didn't keep the idea to himself; he reached out to Dr. Turgeman, the very physician who had saved his life. The two immediately began formulating the concept into a patent. Shortly thereafter, Nir approached Eli Avni to join them. Eli instantly recognized the immense potential inherent in technology. Together, they founded Nivat Medical Device Ltd., with Eli stepping into the role of CEO. Even in the venture's earliest stages, Eli had the foresight to bring the Reinhold Cohn Group on board, a leading intellectual property law firm that faithfully accompanies the company to this day, handling the registration and protection of their intellectual property. (patents).
Nivat's achievements are extraordinary. The company holds six groundbreaking medical patents approved worldwide. If registering a medical patent and securing approval for six different variations isn't rare enough, Nivat's Working Capsule is currently the only capsule in the world capable of opening inside blood vessels and within the human body.
Thanks to the remarkable capabilities of the Working Capsule, diagnostic and therapeutic medical applications will become possible across a vast array of medical fields. In cardiology, it will assist in treating valvular and coronary artery diseases. In neurology, it could serve as a filter capsule to protect the brain from embolic events during surgery or cardiac catheterization. In urology, it is intended for the capture and lithotripsy (crushing) of kidney stones, in gastroenterology, the capsule will help in imaging the digestive tract and treating intestinal obstructions.
Blue and White Israeli Pride
During my meeting with the team, I asked Eli directly what their current focus is: "Eli, the Working Capsule has yielded six patents. What are you concentrating on right now, and what are you advancing"?
Eli responded in detail, explaining that at this stage, the company is focused on developing a biological-hybrid heart valve capsule. "This is a technology currently unknown in the medical world, combining both mechanical and biological components", he explained. He proudly emphasized, "The design were done entirely in Israel, now we are trying to produce the new and upgraded valve capsule prototype in Israel as well. relying exclusively on local 'blue and white' production. It is a true point of Israeli pride."
He further noted, "It is important to understand that Nivat has forged an independent path along which it focuses and advances. This process began with the valve capsule and will eventually expand to other medical applications." Eli stressed that despite everything they have been through as a company, and despite everything the State of Israel has endured, they continue to execute their plans, actively shaping reality with their own hands despite the obstacles in their path.
The Heart Valve Treatment Revolution
At this point in the interview, I felt compelled to pause and ask Dr. Turgeman a professional question. I asked how their valve capsule, designed to save lives, differentiates itself from all other players and companies currently on the market.
Dr. Yoav Turgeman, who serves as the company's Medical Advisor and has dedicatedly treated thousands of patients throughout his career, launched into a fascinating medical explanation: "Until the 2000s, the treatment of valvular diseases was largely surgical, meaning open-heart surgery. Today, however, there are two main types of valves on the market. The mechanical valves and the biological valves. Here is where Dr. Turgeman lists the Main Issues and problems with current valve products and procedures:
Mechanical heart valve
Implantation is based on open heart surgery, not a TAVI procedure. Implantation requires long life Anti-coagulant (Warfarin – coumadin), a blood thinner for the rest of his life. bringing associated problems such as a tendency for severe bleeding, an inability to return to work, and severe disruption to a normal daily routine. These are primarily used in 'younger' patients under the age of 70.
Biological heart valves:
Unexpected durability. Sometimes failure occurs quite early (3-5 years) after implantation. Replacement is generally limited to twice. These are mainly used in older adults over the age of 70. He went on to explain that over twenty years ago, an innovative catheterization technique was developed, which is commonly known as TAVI (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation). However, he clarified: "There are unresolved and highly troubling issues with the current technique, As I have already detailed. Furthermore, he added: "Among older patients, approximately 20% of TAVI recipients require a repeat procedure due to the early degradation of the implanted valve tissue. The currently available treatment allows, only in some cases, a maximum of one additional implantation, with all the medical limitations and complications such a procedure entails. He continued: "The rate of paravalvular leaks occurring following suboptimal implantation, according to known data regarding currently available valves, is reported in about 15% of cases. Finally, the last issue is that in approximately 10% of patients, the valve implantation process is accompanied by an urgent need for temporary or permanent cardiac pacing."
This is exactly the critical juncture where Nivat enters the picture with what is called the Hybrid Port Valve. This development provides an ideal and comprehensive solution to the array of problems and drawbacks mentioned. It is a highly sophisticated valve that allows for required replacements throughout the patient's entire life. Its positioning is firmly secured at the initial implantation site thanks to a specially developed anchoring ring. Moreover, full control over the opening mechanism and precise adaptation to the patient's anatomy significantly reduce leakage rates. Additionally, there is an option to provide temporary cardiac pacing directly through the capsule's own arms.
Dr. Turgeman added another remarkable detail: "This unique valve features advanced communication capabilities with a smartwatch, allowing a temporary pacemaker to be activated for up to 12 hours. This provides crucial time to stabilize the patient until emergency medical forces arrive."
Spartan Management and a Family Spirit
After grasping the magnitude of this medical breakthrough, I turned back to Eli and asked how a medical startup survives financially during such severe crises as the COVID-19 pandemic and an ongoing war.
Eli answered candidly that the company is run in a strictly spartan manner, based on a very lean management model, with all available resources directed exclusively toward research and development. "There are no salaries, no pampering offices, no company cars, and no pensions", he shared. The founding team and the investors who trusted them from the very beginning back when they only had basic sketches on paper to show, know they are fully committed to the company's vision. They wholeheartedly believe that the upcoming milestones will bring rewarding business results for everyone involved.
I turned to Eli and Nir and asked: "What were the reactions early on when you approached professionals and investors with your revolutionary idea?" Nir and Eli smiled simultaneously, and Nir answered decisively: "People called it science fiction. They called us delusional. They even explicitly told us that it is absolutely impossible to build an entire medical factory inside a tiny capsule with a diameter of five millimeters. They said, 'You will never be able to manufacture this.'" Yet, they proved everyone wrong. Not only did they manage to manufacture it, after upgrading the prototype, they are also vigorously advancing toward laboratory and animal trials.
Getting to know the team, I also spoke with Iris Dahan. Iris is an impressive woman with a master's degree in information technology management who leads research and development in global medical device companies. As a renowned expert in providing research services and guiding software teams through development, I asked her how a woman with such a rich resume ended up specifically at this company.
Iris replied with a warm smile: "Eli and I have been close childhood friends for 50 years. Eli enthusiastically told me about the company he founded and asked me to join the team to manage and oversee my specific areas of expertise".
Intrigued, I asked Iris how many years she has been in the industry, and what exactly made her want to work for a company that, for the time being at least, does not pay salaries. Iris answered earnestly: "I have been in medical field for many years and work with a wide variety of companies and teams. Nivat is managed entirely differently; it is truly like one big family." She described a work environment where people are allowed to speak their minds openly, raise doubts, offer constructive criticism, and ask the toughest questions. Yet, she noted, throughout the entire process, the work is highly collaborative, and everyone looks out for one another for the sake of the company's success.
She added warm words about her partners, mentioning that Yoav, beyond being a successful doctor, is a man of many interests, offering a unique perspective, and is fundamentally a good-hearted person. Regarding Eli and Nir, she pointed out that they do not come from a medical background, which means their thinking is entirely non-standard. Instead, it is characterized by extraordinary audacity and the breaking of existing boundaries. She concluded by saying that as a team, they thoroughly enjoy working together. This is exactly the frequency their investors feel, and it is what makes the company so unique.
Eli was quick to add that what he finds most special about the company, is how different they all are from one another. "Each and every one of us comes from a completely different background, with different life experiences and vastly different professional knowledge. Despite all our differences and actually to our credit, we complement each other perfectly. This brings immense added value to the company," he summarized.
A Vision for Change and Future Plans
I asked Nir what went through his mind at the very beginning when the initial idea first popped into his head. Nir replied honestly: "When the idea came to me, I looked around and saw that the entire medical field was moving in one distinct direction, while we were heading 180 degrees in the exact opposite direction." He admitted that at first, money was not the driving factor at all; rather, it was the pure desire to do something different, something truly groundbreaking that charts a new alternative course in global medicine. Further down the road, all the team members realized they held something enormous in their hands.
Before concluding, I asked Eli where they go from here and what the company's future plans are.
Eli shared that they are currently in the final stages of development. Their goal is to conduct comprehensive laboratory tests as well as animal trials by the end of 2026, aiming to definitively prove the viability of the valve capsule in a living environment. Success in these stages will lay a solid foundation for prestigious scientific publications and the creation of strategic collaborations and commercial partnerships with leading international companies.
He took the opportunity to add: "Right now, we are engaging several potential investors (Even everyone reading this article), to join us ahead of these crucial next steps. The company's share price has been maintained and is highly attractive relative to the advanced stage we are currently in. Investors who choose to join us on this journey will essentially gain an investment backed by multiple patents, Each of them is unique in its own field, they are actually investing in a broad portfolio of revolutionary patents and products. Come join us!"
The Miracle of the Jezreel Valley
Today, I met a wonderful team from a company driven by a clear vision, a burning belief in their path, genuine mutual support, and a massive amount of motivation to change the world. Thus, right in the heart of the pastoral landscapes of the distant Jezreel Valley, in the very place where a doctor and a patient met by chance during a life-altering health crisis, a brave and uncompromising endeavor was born to turn a painful personal experience into a colossal technological platform. It is a platform that may profoundly impact diverse medical fields, and above all, improve the quality of life and health for us all.
For inquiries and investment opportunities, please contact:
Company Email: contact@nivatmed.com
Company Website: https://nivatmedicaldevice.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/eliavni
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