With a toaster oven, a trailer hitch, and a deer-spine phantom. That’s how it all began for Rivanna Module. Rivanna Module is a commercial-stage medical device innovator. It is based in Charlottesville Virginia.
Rivanna Module’s story began in 2010. Graduate students at the University of Virginia founded it. Will Mauldin was a co-founder. He started the company after a Darden School of Business course. He was pursuing his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering. Mauldin saw a chance to use medical ultrasound technologies. He wanted to address high failure rates. These failure rates were linked to epidural and spinal anesthesia placement. He recruited Kevin Owen. Owen was a fellow BME graduate student. Owen had industrial product development experience. Together, they established Rivanna Module.
Early development happened without company facilities or funding. Kevin Owen’s home attic became their lab. They assembled the first circuit boards in a toaster oven. Will Mauldin made the first prototype ultrasound transducers. He used a trailer hitch and hot glue. He tested it in a deer spine phantom. Materials came from a recent hunting trip. This prototype showed the basic concept. It provided data. That data attracted Rivanna Module’s first funding. The Wallace H. Coulter Foundation collaborated with Dr. John Hossack’s laboratory. They were at the University of Virginia. Private seed investment followed. Will and Kevin leased office space. They hired the company’s first employees.
Continuous improvement marked Rivanna Module’s growth. The company secured more funding rounds. In 2015, the Accuro product achieved FDA clearance. Commercialization began. This validated the founders’ vision. It also started a new chapter for Rivanna Module.
Rivanna Module has many achievements. In 2024, they started a study. It was a multi-site first-in-human study. This was for the Accuro XV musculoskeletal imaging system. They exclusively licensed a key patent from Duke University. This patent would advance ultrasound-guided imaging tech. In 2023, they completed first clinical cases with Accuro 3S. This showed clinical utility in real-world settings. A U.S. Government Agency awarded them a contract. This supported Accuro XV development. It also supported an FDA clearance application. The contract was worth 30.5 million dollars. The NIH awarded a grant. It expanded Accuro 3S indications to regional anesthesia. This was in emergency medicine. The grant was 2.9 million dollars.
Rivanna Module’s mission is clear. They want to develop world-first imaging-based medical technologies. These technologies elevate global standards of care. They offer imaging solutions. These solutions are for spinal needle interventions and fracture diagnostics. They also provide soft tissue diagnostics. These solutions offer enhanced precision and safety. They improve patient care. All while remaining cost-effective. Rivanna Module’s solutions are indispensable in modern medical practice. They are free from ionizing radiation. Rivanna Module operates an FDA-registered facility. It is also ISO 13485:2016 certified. They produce the Accuro product line there. This includes related medical equipment.