WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Thermedical, a developer of thermal-ablation systems to treat ventricular tachycardia (VT), today announced that Roy T. Tanaka has been appointed to the company’s board of directors.

Mr. Tanaka, a healthcare industry veteran who most recently served as the worldwide president of Biosense Webster, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company and market and technology leader in the field of electrophysiology, brings over three decades of medical device expertise to Thermedical.

“We are thrilled to have Roy join our Board, as his depth of experience in executive leadership and his operational expertise and knowledge in the field of electrophysiology, both in the U.S. and globally, bring an invaluable perspective to Thermedical as we move into our next phase of growth,” said Michael Curley, Ph.D., FHRS, co-founder and CEO of Thermedical.

“I feel honored to have the opportunity to join Thermedical’s board of directors at this exciting time for the company,” said Roy T. Tanaka. “Thermedical is uniquely positioned to provide an adjunct or low-cost alternative treatment option to patients who suffer from VT, a leading cause of sudden cardiac death in the U.S. today.”

Prior to joining Biosense Webster, Inc. as its U.S. president in 1997, Mr. Tanaka held a variety of executive positions at Sorin Biomedical, including president and CEO, and senior leadership roles at CooperVision Surgical and Shiley, a division of Pfizer.

He currently serves on multiple boards of directors for companies such as BioSig Technologies, a company developing a biomedical signal processing platform and VytronUS, a company developing ultrasound technology in the diagnosis and treatment of complex cardiac arrhythmias. He also serves as a board member and strategic advisor for Adventus Ventures, LLC. Additionally, Mr. Tanaka served as a director of TomoTherapy until its acquisition in June 2011, Volcano Corporation until May 2014, Coherex Medical until its acquisition in Nov. 2015, and Epix Therapeutics until its acquisition in March 2019.

Mr. Tanaka earned a Bachelor of Science from Purdue University and a Master’s in Business Administration from Benedictine College.

About Thermedical

Thermedical is a privately held company founded by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Hyperthermia Center alumni, Michael G. Curley, Ph.D. and Patrick S. Hamilton, Ph.D., based in Waltham, Mass. Under a Massachusetts Life Sciences Center Small Business Matching Grant (SBMG) Award, multiple NIH* Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Grants, and Series A venture funding; the company has developed thermal-ablation systems to treat VT. The FDA-approved Early Feasibility Study is the first human use of the Durablate Catheter Ablation System in the United States. Human studies began earlier in Canada and continue at three leading Canadian centers. For more information, visit: www.thermedical.com.