stroke-prevention
(3)
The Tiny Net Between Heart Surgery and a Stroke
During a valve replacement, flecks of calcium and tissue can ride the bloodstream toward the brain. Transverse Medical is betting that one carefully placed filter can stop the trip without getting in the cardiologist’s way.
Conformal Medical
Conformal Medical is a Nashua, New Hampshire medical device company developing the CLAAS AcuFORM System, a next-generation left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) implant that uses a proprietary foam matrix to seal the left atrial appendage and reduce stroke risk in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. Its design conforms to a wide range of anatomies with only two device sizes, and is intended to make LAAO a same-day, single-operator procedure that can avoid general anesthesia and transesophageal echocardiography. In February 2026 the company became a wholly owned subsidiary of W. L. Gore & Associates.
James Reinstein
James Reinstein is the President and CEO of Conformal Medical, a New Hampshire medical device company building next-generation left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) technology to reduce stroke risk in patients with atrial fibrillation. A three-decade medtech operator, he spent 17 years at Boston Scientific in commercial leadership across Asia, Europe and Latin America before running a string of device companies as CEO, including Cutera, Drawbridge Health, Aptus Endosystems and Saranas. Known for insisting that a device company think commercially from day one, he took the helm at Conformal in 2022 to guide its foam-based CLAAS system through pivotal trials toward market.