Innovative Medical Robotics Company, Clarapath, Passes First Round of Certifications; Expands Global Headquarters
Leverages $32 million Series B funding to speed up manufacturing, grow workforce, and build key partnerships for autonomous microtomy
Clarapath SectionStar Device
HAWTHORNE, N.Y., June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Clarapath, a robotics company aimed at catalyzing change in the way pathology laboratories process human and animal tissues, today announced significant company developments. Clarapath’s first robotic instrument, called SectionStar™, will result in standardization in the quality of tissue sections for molecular mapping of human disease and in the development of new treatment pathways. Today, Clarapath is announcing that SectionStar™ has reached an important milestone – passing UL certification. This step is critical to both the non-clinical and clinical deployment of the device, enhancing reliability and efficiency of the pathology lab. Fueled by the company’s recent $32 million fund raise and to support continued growth and demand for the SectionStar™ system, Clarapath also announced today that it is expanding its global headquarters space in Hawthorne, NY to include 30,000 more square feet allowing room for an expanded workforce, assembly, and manufacturing areas.
UL Certification
Passing rigorous, internationally recognized safety testing, Clarapath has received certification from UL, a global safety leader, in the following categories:
- Electrical safety and performance standard IEC 61010. This includes electrical safety, mechanical safety, fire safety, and optical (laser/uv) safety.
- Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) standard IEC 61326-1. This standard requires limited electromagnetic emissions from SectionStar™ as well as immunity from electromagnetic emissions from other devices.
“The UL certification is a trusted and respected symbol of safety in electronics and is a critical next step in bringing SectionStar to market. This is a significant milestone that demonstrates the rigor that our engineering and robotics teams have put into the development and safety of SectionStar,” said Eric Feinstein, CEO of Clarapath.
Expanding Clinical and Engineering Expertise
Clarapath is adding new staff in the company’s software engineering and computer science departments. The company aims to hire at least 10-15 additional Westchester, NY-based employees in the next 12 months. Additionally, the company has added a number of new senior leaders and advisory members under the Clarapath ecosystem, including:
- Dr. Aaron Ames, PhD, Bren Professor at Caltech, develops the underlying mathematics and algorithms for highly dynamic robotic systems with a view toward autonomy, with application to walking robots, robotic assistive devices, and safe autonomy. He will join the company as the Chief Engineering Fellow.
- Dr. Manu Sebastian, DVM, PhD, Associate Professor, board-certified veterinary pathologist, Fellow, International Academy of Toxicologic Pathology, Diplomate, The American Board of Toxicology, and Director of Research Histology, Pathology, and Imaging Services core at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Sebastian brings extensive experience in pharmaceutical and medical device efficacy studies, histology, and pathology laboratory practices, molecular pathology safety evaluation and regulatory approval to Clarapath.
- Dr. Xavier Palazzi, DVM, ECVP board-certified veterinary pathologist and diplomate, American Board of Toxicology, VP and Head of Global Pathology from Pfizer, specializing in investigative pathology, neuroanatomy/pathology, immunology and medical devices, and will bring this expertise to the Clarapath team.
- Howard Sams, a senior executive who brings extensive experience in digital and computational pathology, artificial intelligence and healthcare technology from his global leadership roles at Siemens Healthineers, Roche, and Boston Scientific among others will join the Strategic Advisory Board.
“With the talent of this Clarapath team and these new additions, and the support of our investors, we are confident that we can address the shortage in histotechnologists and provide consistent, uniform samples that labs need. The future is bright for SectionStar and the Clarapath team,” added Feinstein.
About Clarapath
Clarapath is a medical robotics company aimed at catalyzing change in the way pathology laboratories work. Clarapath is developing tools and workflow solutions to improve outcomes and reduce costs in clinical and non-clinical pathology. With the rising demand for sample reviews and the reliance on a dwindling labor pool, Clarapath’s SectionStar provides automated sectioning for non-clinical and clinical pathology laboratories. SectionStar is the first, fully automated, all-in-one tissue sectioning and transfer system that will dramatically increase capacity, reliability, and consistency while minimizing the need for highly skilled labor. Clarapath is headquartered and runs its medical device development in Hawthorne, NY. It also has a CLIA-certified Clinical Research Organization (CRO) that serves clinical and research organizations by processing tissue, performing whole slide imaging, and providing automated image processing based in New York City at the New York Genome Center. For more information, visit https://www.clarapath.com/.
Media Contact:
Heidi Davidson
Galvanize Worldwide for Clarapath
heidi@galvanizeworldwide.com
(914) 441-6862
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/38fcccd6-589f-48da-af92-6a5def553961
