Robert Chisena, PhD

Co-founder and chief technology officer of AVS Pulse in Boston, Massachusetts.

Having co-founded his medical device company to transform treatment of calcified arterial disease, Robert is now focused on developing a safe and effective pulsatile mechanism to shatter calcium in the arteries and expand narrowed vessels to improve blood flow.  

Named as an inventor on five patents, Dr. Chisena has conducted vast research across the biomedical science and design space, encompassing medical device manufacturing, cardiovascular mechanics, and safety and efficacy studies of diseased tissue. This expansive research has been recognized in more than 14 publications that he authored or co-authored.   

Robert’s education and experience positioned him to innovate within the intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) device space, in which he led the development of an effective and unique Mechanism of Action (MoA) to fracture arterial calcium.  

AVS Pulse has since expanded significantly. Today the company employs more than 20. In June 2024, it received an investigational device exemption to begin a pivotal trial of their peripheral device amongst 120 patients across 20 sites in the U.S.  

Dr. Chisena’s work has opened new doors for a patient population that historically had limited treatment options. Now this population can look forward to treatment with technology that can reduce pain, increase blood flow and improve the ability to walk. His continued advancement of a new technology—taking it from a university lab to a fully commercialized device in 2026 (projected)—continues to demonstrate the impact that one person can have in helping large populations of patients worldwide.