An intelligent implant for canine epilepsy
ANIMO™ is an adaptive vagus nerve stimulation implant that helps manage canine epilepsy. It is being developed by neuroelectronics and epilepsy researchers at the University of Toronto.
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An intelligent implant for canine epilepsy
ANIMO™ is an adaptive vagus nerve stimulation implant that helps manage canine epilepsy. It is being developed by neuroelectronics and epilepsy researchers at the University of Toronto.
Join our mailing list to receive up-to-date business and product information.
Proven in humans, customized for dogs.
ANIMO™ builds on decades of human vagus nerve stimulation research, which has shown that vagus nerve stimulation is effective at reducing seizures.
We have crafted an easy-to-implant device specifically tailored to the canine anatomy.
Intelligent seizure detection
ANIMO™ uses a patented machine learning-based neural classifier with proprietary biomarkers to deliver stimulation before seizures start.
An app and a web interface allow clinicians to approve AI-driven device updates to improve the performance and efficacy of ANIMO™ over time.
Team
Co-founder, Chief Technical Officer
Gerard O'Leary B.Eng., M.A.Sc., PhD.
Gerard O’Leary developed ANIMO™ during his neuroelectronics PhD research at the University of Toronto. He previously held engineering positions at Analog Devices, The European Space Agency and ARM. He has co-authored 12 IEEE publications and co-invented 3 patents involving machine learning-driven neuromodulation systems and integrated circuits. He has received the IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society Pre-doctoral Achievement Award and the RBC Prize for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Co-founder, Chief Scientific Officer
Taufik Valiante M.D., PhD., FRCS
Dr. Taufik Valiante is the Director of the Surgical Epilepsy Program at the Krembil Neuroscience Center, an Affiliate Scientist and neurosurgeon at the Toronto Western Hospital and an Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Toronto. He co-directs the Centre for Advancing Neurotechnological Innovation to Application (CRANIA), a joint effort between the University Health Network and the University of Toronto. Dr. Valiante is ranked 1st among over 100 neurosurgeons on ratemds.com. He is the recipient of the Connaught Innovation Award.