Local med-tech company’s cutting-edge imaging technology used for the first time during procedure

Medical technology company EchoPixel, a graduate of the Fogarty Innovation program based at El Camino Health's campus in Mountain View, celebrated a big milestone after the company’s 4D holographic technology was used for the first time by UC Davis Health doctors to guide a MitraClip heart valve procedure.

“MitraClip is a procedure that approximates the mitral valve leaflets thereby addressing an incompetent valve that is regurgitating, also known as ‘leaking,’” the statement said. “... During the procedure, operators implant one or more clips onto the valve leaflets with real-time echocardiographic imaging.”

EchoPixel’s holographic therapy guidance (HTG) technology “allows doctors to manipulate a real-time 4D hologram to guide their procedure,” the company said. “The software platform uses standard medical images to create a digital twin of a patient, enabling doctors to experience it as a 4D interactive hologram, interacting with the patient’s organs and tissues as if they were actual, physical objects.”

In this case, the technology allowed doctors at Davis to conduct a successful MitraClip procedure.

“I am honored to work with the innovative team at UC Davis Health,” said EchoPixel founder and CEO Sergio Aguirre in the statement. “I look forward to continue expanding these and other relationships as practitioners increasingly recognize the value in solutions like ours.”

Palo Alto University to celebrate the grand opening of its Mountain View satellite campus

Palo Alto University (PAU), a nearly 50-year-old institution that offers education, research, training and clinical practice in the fields of psychology and counseling, is celebrating the grand opening of its Mountain View satellite office.

The grand opening event, to be held on Nov. 10 at 11 a.m. at 1172 Castro St. in Mountain View, will offer tours of the facility, according to the university’s website. People can RSVP here.

“This satellite campus will be the new home for PAU’s teaching and training clinic, the Gronowski Center, which offers sliding-scale mental health services to the community by PAU students under the supervision of licensed psychologists,” the university’s website states. “Classrooms, faculty offices, and the Student Success team will be located at this site. This Mountain View campus will also be a hub for community workshops and events.”

Grand opening attendees will also get the chance to hear from event speaker Joseph A. Farrow, the current president of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), California chapter.

County counsel James R. Williams to become new Santa Clara County CEO

After announcing last month that longtime Santa Clara County Chief Executive Officer Dr. Jeffrey V. Smith would be retiring after a 42-year career in public service, Santa Clara County officials announced Nov. 1 that James R. Williams will fill the role as the next county executive.

“I have great faith in the county team we’ve built and I am very proud of our organization,” said Smith, who has served in the county’s top post for the past 13 years, in an Oct. 27 statement. “It has been an honor to serve the community together with our 23,000 county employees, who hold the fabric of society together.”

Smith’s retirement is slated for July 1, 2023. His successor, Williams, currently serves as the county counsel, a position he’s held since 2016.

“I am honored by the opportunity to serve our community as the next county executive,” said Williams in a Nov. 1 statement. “Under the board’s direction, the county not only delivers vital health and safety services to our residents, but it is also a national leader in advancing equity and social justice."

District 5 Supervisor Joe Simitian, who serves Mountain View, commended Williams for the new role.

“Mr. Williams is an exceptionally talented individual,” Simitian said in the statement. “His experience in our county is both deep and wide-ranging. His appointment helps us ensure a smooth transition.”