A patient enters a clinic with a foot wound. Now, imagine a nurse has the ability to assess blood flow onsite, gauge if circulation is sufficient for healing, and if it’s not, the patient can immediately be referred to a vascular specialist for treatment, potentially saving the patient from amputation.

That’s the mission behind Moonrise Medical, a company transforming vascular ultrasonography, powered by its novel AI-driven automation software.

Each year, more than one million limb amputations occur due to diabetic foot ulcers and peripheral vascular disease, which translates to one amputation every 30 seconds. These conditions block arteries in the leg, limiting blood flow to the foot. Without adequate circulation, wounds fail to heal, become infected and, ultimately, require amputation.

“The alarming rate of preventable amputations inspired us to take action,” says Dr. Abubaker Khalifa, COO of Moonrise Medical. “We saw too many patients losing limbs simply because critical blood flow issues were missed or identified too late.”

The Urgent Need for Innovation

Traditionally, peripheral vascular ultrasound is performed in specialized vascular centers by ultrasound specialists, limiting its utility to certain patients and geographies. Moonrise Medical’s technology expands the access of peripheral vascular ultrasound and places it directly in clinical settings, allowing for real-time diagnosis and procedural decision-making.

Designed for use by non-ultrasound specialists such as nurses, this technology enables early detection and improved treatment of vascular disease. By providing critical perfusion analysis at the point of care, it ensures that patients receive timely and appropriate interventions, ultimately preventing unnecessary limb amputations.

During the procedure, the system provides real-time feedback, allowing physicians to determine precisely when they have restored enough blood flow to promote wound healing. This eliminates guesswork and optimizes treatment, reducing the risk of complications and improving patient outcomes.

“The global support and endorsement for our work has been phenomenal,” said Khalifa. “It’s simple enough for non-experts to use, yet powerful enough to identify limb-threatening blood flow problems. That combination is a game-changer.”

But how did Moonrise Medical develop their technology? Moonrise Medical was founded by Dr. Abubaker Khalifa, a critical care physician with vast experience in early-stage medical technology development, Adam Gold, an engineer and medical device entrepreneur, and Jill Sommerset, a world-renowned vascular technologist and esteemed researcher. Sommerset discovered a novel Doppler ultrasound-based biomarker known as Pedal Acceleration Time (PAT), which accurately assesses blood flow and guides treatment decisions.

While they all identified non-healing wounds and limb amputations as a massive unmet need, it was Sommerset’s groundbreaking work on PAT which provided the missing link for Khalifa and Gold, leading to the formation of Moonrise Medical.

“Moonrise Medical is delivering exactly the kind of innovation Ontario needs—technology that’s not only clinically groundbreaking, but profoundly human in its impact,” says Claudia Krywiak, President & CEO of the Ontario Centre of Innovation. “By transforming how vascular disease is diagnosed and treated, this team is saving limbs, preserving dignity, and improving lives. Through the Life Sciences Innovation Fund, we’re proud to help accelerate their mission to make world-class care more accessible, starting right here in Ontario.”

With support from Ontario’s Life Sciences Innovation Fund (LSIF), Moonrise Medical is accelerating development. This funding is driving the completion of the alpha system, the development of a clinical minimum viable product (MVP), and the execution of a 30-patient validation study which will confirm that the system allows non-specialized users to quickly and accurately locate the proper artery and that the reported waveforms and PAT measurements are comparable to those obtained using commercial ultrasound systems.

Through innovation, clinical validation, and strategic partnerships, the company is working to prevent unnecessary amputations, enhance treatment precision, and ultimately save lives.