VOTIS Subdermal Imaging Technologies, Ltd, an Israeli corporation, and ii Ventures Private Limited (iiV), an Indian company, announced that they have entered into a memorandum of understanding to develop a system to screen the largely rural Indian population for peripheral artery disease (PAD).

The devices, which allow for the early detection of the disease before tangible symptoms appear, will utilise the same technology that VOTIS is building into other devices intended for use in the US and Europe.

Alfred Arambhan, Co-Founder and Mentor of iiV said, "There is a great need for a system that is convenient, accurate, and affordable. We have found it in the VOTIS technology."

Arambhan continued, "Our initial plan is to establish VOTIS solutions in villages throughout India, and to create a robust and reliable platform for introducing and launching similar devices and solutions in the future. We are gratified that our plan has received encouragement and support from Governmental, private, and NGO sources in India."

Merrill Weber, Chief Executive Officer and President, VOTIS said, "Our devices are entirely non-invasive and do not use X-rays (Roentgen) or other ionising radiation. They are inexpensive and dependable. In India, the screening devices will enable easy, intuitive use. That will permit testing to be performed by technicians and nurses in the villages rather than medical doctors at hospitals or clinics."

The VOTIS devices use vascular optical tomographic imaging, or VOTI, an imaging technology developed under the leadership of Andreas Hielscher, Professor and Chair, Department of Biomedical Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering.

The technology was developed in Prof Hielscher's biophotonics and optical radiology laboratory, which he ran as professor of biomedical engineering, radiology and electrical engineering at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Columbia University. VOTIS plans to release its devices commercially in 2022.