Charles Rampersaud

Revent Medical, Inc. develops cost effective and innovative medical implants for patients with obstructive sleep apnea. The company was founded by Edward M. Gillis in 2008 and is headquartered in Newark, CA.

CardioThoracic Systems, Inc., located in Cupertino, Calif., is a leading developer of proprietary technologies in minimally invasive cardiothoracic surgery. CTS introduced its first generation system for minimally invasive beating heart bypass surgery in January 1997. Since that time, over 11,000 beating heart bypass procedures, including midline and thorocotomy approaches, have been performed using CTS' propriety instruments. CTS is also developing technologies in the area of minimally invasive valve repair. CardioThoracic Systems, Inc., has been acquired by Guidant in 1999.

Guidant Corp. manufactures cardiovascular therapeutic devices. The company also provides cardiac and peripheral vascular repair surgical systems. It operates in Europe and Japan. Guidant was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in St. Paul, MN.

Founded in 2003 by Dr. Lionel Nelson and Eric Doelling, Apneon is dedicated to developing innovative solutions for treating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) - the cessation of breathing during sleep. OSA is a serious and life-threatening condition that plagues millions of Americans and is most commonly recognized by excessive daytime sleepiness. Even with current treatments, sleep apnea is associated with significantly increased risk of stroke and death. Current treatment methods tend to be poorly tolerated, and/or of limited efficacy. Apneon is developing a unique and inventive approach intended to provide an effective treatment for OSA.