Conavi Medical to debut FDA-cleared hybrid IVUS-OCT system at TCT 2026
Conavi Medical will use Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) 2026, running 31 October to 3 November in San Diego, as the principal launchpad for its FDA-cleared hybrid intravascular imaging system. It will be the Canadian company's first appearance at TCT since receiving 510(k) clearance for the device, which simultaneously acquires co-registered intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) images in a single coronary pullback.
The company is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (CNVI) and the OTCQB (CNVIF). Thomas Looby, president and chief executive, said the San Diego conference provides an opportunity to "introduce physicians to the next-generation platform and discuss the growing role of hybrid imaging in guiding percutaneous coronary intervention." Conavi's programme at TCT includes a podium presentation, a preclinical abstract and two physician education seminars run in partnership with the Cardiovascular Research Foundation's CRF Imaging Lab.
Scientific programme
Megha Prasad, MD, of Columbia University Irving Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, will present twice on 2 November. The podium session, scheduled for 4:30 p.m. PT in Complex Cases Theater 4, covers detection of post-stent medial dissection and white thrombus using hybrid IVUS-OCT. A separate abstract presentation at 12:20 p.m. PT reports preclinical feasibility data for saline-based, contrast-free dual-modality intracoronary imaging in a porcine model, a finding of potential clinical relevance for patients with contrast sensitivity or renal impairment. Prasad will also lead a segment within a CRF Imaging Lab seminar on acute coronary syndrome, calcium and hybrid imaging on 3 November.
The saline-flushing result is the more clinically interesting of the two disclosures. Standard OCT requires contrast media to displace blood and achieve adequate luminal clearing; a validated saline-based protocol, if confirmed in human studies, would widen the addressable patient population for the technology.
Market context
Intracoronary imaging remains under-utilised relative to its evidence base. Multiple large randomised trials and updated European and American percutaneous coronary intervention guidelines now recommend IVUS or OCT to guide stent implantation in complex lesions, yet adoption outside specialist centres is modest. Conavi's hybrid approach addresses a genuine clinical tension: IVUS offers deeper tissue penetration and better cross-sectional vessel sizing, while OCT delivers superior surface resolution for stent apposition and edge dissection assessment. Combining both modalities in a single catheter, rather than requiring sequential pullbacks, reduces procedural time and catheter exchanges.
The competitive field in intravascular imaging is dominated by established players with entrenched commercial infrastructure and physician training programmes. For Conavi, a smaller TSXV-listed company, TCT carries strategic weight beyond scientific credibility: it is the primary venue for building the specialist cardiology relationships that determine catheter lab adoption. The company's U.S. commercialisation trajectory will depend on its ability to secure reimbursement pathways and institutional purchasing agreements alongside the clinical validation it is generating at conferences such as this one.
Investors and interventional cardiologists will be watching for any data on image quality benchmarking against standalone IVUS and OCT systems, and for signals on the commercial partnership or distribution strategy Conavi intends to pursue in the United States.