About CAPIS
The CAPIS Story
CAPIS is a Belgium-based medical technology company dedicated to improving the early detection of congenital heart disease in children.
The company originated from long-term research in pediatric cardiology and digital signal processing, addressing a persistent challenge in healthcare: while early detection of heart disease is critical, access to pediatric cardiologists and advanced diagnostic tools remains limited in many care settings.
CAPIS was founded with the ambition to transform traditional auscultation into an objective, reliable, and clinically meaningful assessment approach, suitable for use across hospitals, clinics, and community-based healthcare environments.
Today, CAPIS focuses on developing and validating evidence-based technologies that support clinicians in identifying cardiac abnormalities earlier and more consistently, while remaining aligned with real clinical workflows.
Founder & Scientific Leadership
Amir A. Sepehri, PhD
Founder & Inventor of Pouya-Heart
Digital Signal Processing • Biomedical Engineering • Heart-Sound Analysis
"My work has always focused on making complex signal analysis serve real clinical needs. Pediatric heart sounds are among the most challenging signals to analyze, and among the most impactful when done correctly."
Biography
Dr. Amir A. Sepehri is an engineer, inventor, and researcher with more than four decades of experience in digital signal processing, control systems, and advanced sound analysis, and more than 25 years dedicated specifically to pediatric heart-sound analysis for the detection of congenital heart disease.
He holds degrees in electrical engineering, computer-controlled systems, digital sound processing, and a PhD in digital controllers. He later completed the Agrégation de l'Enseignement Universitaire at the Polytechnic Faculty of the University of Mons (Belgium), a postdoctoral-level specialization (now discontinued under European harmonization); focused on digital analysis of neonatal and pediatric heart sounds.
Dr. Sepehri's research bridges engineering and medicine. Working in close collaboration with pediatric cardiologists and university hospitals, he has developed signal-processing methods that enable objective interpretation of heart sounds and support early detection of congenital heart disease.
He is the inventor of multiple international patents in medical signal analysis, including patented methods for computerized screening of congenital heart disease, protected in more than 30 countries.
His work has been published in peer-reviewed medical and engineering journals, described in international book chapters, and presented at major scientific conferences worldwide, including invited keynote lectures in pediatric cardiology and biomedical engineering events in Las Vegas, Valencia, Canada, and China.
Team & Scientific Leadership
CAPIS operates through close collaboration between clinicians, engineers, and researchers, supported by a multidisciplinary scientific leadership team with expertise in biomedical engineering, digital signal processing, machine learning, clinical safety, and regulatory science.
Although CAPIS does not currently employ an in-house pediatric cardiologist, the company collaborates with pediatric cardiologists and university hospitals to support the clinical validation of Pouya-Heart.
Our Scientific Culture
Although CAPIS does not currently employ an in-house pediatric cardiologist, the company collaborates with pediatric cardiologists and university hospitals to support the clinical validation of Pouya-Heart.
Our scientific culture is built on:
- Interdisciplinary collaboration between medicine and engineering
- Evidence-based development and validation
- Long-term research continuity
- Usability in real healthcare environments
Academic & Clinical Partnerships
CAPIS maintains strong academic and clinical ties with:
- University of Mons (UMons), Belgium
- Mälardalen University, Sweden
- Pediatric university hospitals and clinical research centers participating in validation studies
Sara Sepehri, PhD
Director & Scientific Lead
Pharmacist • Toxicologist • Health & Regulatory Strategy
Dr. Sara Sepehri oversees scientific direction, clinical alignment, and regulatory strategy at CAPIS. With a background in pharmacy and a PhD in toxicology, she ensures that product development remains clinically relevant, evidence-based, and aligned with evolving health and regulatory requirements.
Arash Gharehbaghi, PhD
Scientific Advisor - Signal Processing & Machine Learning
Biomedical Engineering • Digital Cardiac Acoustics
Dr. Arash Gharehbaghi is an international expert in cardiac signal analysis and intelligent phonocardiography. He has led multiple research projects resulting in international and national patents and holds advanced degrees in biomedical engineering and digital cardiac acoustics. Currently a research leader at Mälardalen University (Sweden), his work focuses on machine-learning-based cardiac assessment and advanced heart-sound interpretation.
Testimonials & Scientific Recognition
CAPIS's technologies have been evaluated through independent, peer-reviewed clinical research and referenced in international scientific publications. These studies highlight the clinical relevance and potential impact of Pouya-Heart in improving early detection of congenital heart disease.
Insights from Published Clinical Research
"The system demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity and is recommended to support timely referral, particularly in underserved areas."
— Kocharian et al., Pediatric Study
"We successfully identified congenital heart defects not detected by standard medical examinations."
— Bordbar et al., Neonatal Screening Study
These findings demonstrate Pouya-Heart's ability to support clinicians by providing a reliable, objective interpretation of cardiac sounds across neonatal and pediatric populations.