Saranas Appoints Mike MacKinnon as CEO

February 27, 2023 |

4 min read

Saranas® Inc., a medical device company focused on improving patient outcomes through early detection and monitoring of internal bleeding complications, announced the hiring of seasoned medtech executive, Mike MacKinnon, as Chief Executive Officer.

MacKinnon brings a wealth of medical device senior leadership experience to the company as it establishes early bleed detection as standard of care

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Saranas® Inc., a medical device company focused on improving patient outcomes through early detection and monitoring of internal bleeding complications, today announced the hiring of seasoned medtech executive, Mike MacKinnon, as Chief Executive Officer. He joins the company to accelerate commercialization of its Early Bird Bleed Monitoring System – the first and only system FDA-approved bleed detection system for endovascular procedures. It is designed to detect bleeds early, enabling physicians to address and mitigate the risk immediately, reducing costly complications and improving the patient experience.

“We are delighted to have Mike join and lead Saranas as we continue our mission establishing early bleed detection and monitoring as the standard of care for patients undergoing endovascular procedures,” commented Dan Wolterman, Saranas Board Chairman. “He is an accomplished executive with an impressive record of bringing disruptive technology to market, guiding strategy, and driving significant growth.”

Mike brings 25 years of executive leadership experience and most recently was a Partner and President of Madison Ventures +, a boutique Private Equity firm located in Greenwood Village, CO. Before joining Madison Ventures +, he was the CEO of Zidan Medical, an early-stage company focused on endobronchial ablation for early-stage lung cancer. Prior to this, he served as the CEO of ROX Medical, a privately held medical device company that pioneered an innovative interventional vascular therapy for uncontrolled hypertension.

Before his most recent roles, Mike spent 4 years as Vice President, Head of Sales, for Philips North America’s Image Guided Technologies division, where he was instrumental in the development and growth of the company’s interventional devices business. Mike also played a key role with M&A during his time at Philips, where he led the commercial due diligence for the acquisition of Spectranetics for more than $2B in 2017 and ultimately integrated a combined 500-person sales team. He joined Philips after the company’s acquisition of Volcano Corporation, where he served as the General Manager of Phoenix Atherectomy division and Peripheral Sales Leader. He originally joined Volcano as part of the acquisition of AtheroMed in June 2014, which he led as CEO.

“I am excited to join Saranas at this important time as the company continues to build commercial momentum and clinical evidence for the Early Bird,” stated Mike MacKinnon, CEO of Saranas. “Bleeding remains a common issue during and after endovascular procedures and can result in life-threatening complications. The Early Bird alerts physicians to signs of bleeding in real-time so they can take the necessary actions, protecting patient safety and optimizing clinical outcomes.”

The Early Bird Bleed Monitoring System includes a bleed detection array with integrated electrodes in a fully functional vascular access sheath. It is designed to measure changes in bioimpedance to detect and monitor bleeding from vessel injury. Visual and audible indicators on the Early Bird notify the clinician of the onset and progression of bleeding events. In the FIH clinical study, bleed detection with the Early Bird was compared with a CT scan, the gold standard, and level of agreement was nearly perfect with 100% sensitivity¹.

Approximately one in every five patients will experience a bleeding complication during large-bore endovascular procedures including transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), and percutaneous mechanical circulatory support (MCS)². The average cost of a single bleeding complication incident across these large-bore procedures is approximately $18,000 with an estimated $729 million cost on the healthcare system.

About Saranas, Inc.

Saranas, Inc. is a privately held Houston-based medical device company focused on improving patient outcomes through early detection and monitoring of internal bleeding complications. The company’s patented Early Bird Bleed Monitoring System for vascular access procedures enables physicians to mitigate downstream consequences by addressing bleeding complications immediately, improving patient outcomes, and lowering healthcare costs. For more information, please visit www.saranas.com.

Genereux P et al. First-in-Human Study of the Saranas Early Bird Bleed Monitoring System for the Detection of Endovascular Procedure-Related Bleeding Events. J Invasive Cardiol. 2020 Jul;32(7):255-261. Epub 2020 Jun 8.
Redfors B et al. Mortality, length of stay, and cost implications of procedural bleeding after percutaneous interventions using large-bore catheters. JAMA Cardiol. 2017 Jul 1;2(7):798-802.