Hunt Valley-based Longeviti Neuro Solutions is adding a presence in Port Covington’s medical manufacturing space

Through a partnership with Hunt Valley-based neurotechnology company Longeviti Neuro Solutions, a new capability for medical device development is being added at The LaunchPort in City Garage.

Two units that offer sterilization for products will be added at the Port Covington hub, according to Bob Storey, managing partner of The LaunchPort. They will be used specifically by Longeviti, and any excess capacity can be made available for other companies to use, Storey said.

The LaunchPort is a manufacturing accelerator that is specifically designed for medtech startups. It opened in 2017 through a partnership between Indiana-based contract manufacturing and medical device firm Engineering Medical Systems (EMS) and local investment firm The MVR Company.

Through this new partnership, the sterilization systems will support local production of Longeviti’s Low Profile Intracranial Devices (L.I.D.). This technology is the basis for products developed by Longeviti for use in brain surgery.

The systems, which provide “low temperature, low toxicity hydrogen peroxide sterilization,” are needed because medical products that are implanted or come in contact with bodily fluids need to be provided in sterile packaging.

The systems will help to establish and validate a process for sterilization, which is often unique to a specific type of product and quantity of that product, Storey said. Plus, there are rigorous controls to ensure that each part of the processing and packaging is the same for each individual product.

Along with the systems being used for its products, Longeviti will also establish a presence for research and engineering at The LaunchPort. Both the systems and Longeviti’s operation are expected to be up and running in the first quarter of 2021.

The sterilization systems will be operated within EMS’ manufacturing, and staffed by the company. The systems will likely have further capacity beyond Longeviti’s needs, as well. As a result, they will also be offered to companies at LaunchPort and other companies in the region who might have need for this type of sterilization.

Along with companies looking to sterilize products the same way every time, this could be of interest for companies developing one-off medical device components, or small research quantities of prototype devices, Storey said. It also offers a less toxic sterilization process than what has typically been used, which could offer a chance for hospitals and institutions interested in evaluating how the process works for medical tools that are reusable.

The partnership adds another local medtech company to The LaunchPort’s group of residents. Over the last year, the City Garage space also saw LifeSprout and CoapTech move in.