Interventional cardiology has been among the leading areas of medical device innovation. Yet despite the plethora of new products and procedures, a vital part of all these improvements--cardiac imaging--has largely remained unchanged over the past 40 years. Cardiac Mariners is developing a new x-ray system specifically designed to improve imaging and protect the safety of medical staff as well as patients. Even if its image quality is no better than conventional imaging methods, Cardiac Mariners' technology should have enormous appeal to interventional cardiologists because it addresses a problem these physicians have been reluctant to address: exposure to radiation.

Development’s more expensive, markets are smaller, investors are meaner. But alliances aren’t the answer. Or at least not the answer anyone wants to hear. It's time to rethink the anti-alliance logic, which may require a new approach to starting up device companies.