Trans-Sulcal Access Offers Advantages for Brain Implants
Manufacturers of surgically implanted brain devices have generally had to make a compromise between the level of invasiveness and the ability to access deep brain structures. Most DBS systems on the market today are able to reach brain centers such as the subthalamic nucleus or the GPi only of cerebral cortex and other brain structures. Most BCI systems on the market or under development minimize penetration deep in the brain but only come into contact with cortical neurons on the surface of the brain.
Spreading the Risk
Neurotechnology researchers and manufacturers are well aware that clinical trials and the collection of evidence supporting a new therapy are important elements of the commercialization process. No one in this field would argue that advanced medical products, particularly implantable devices with sophisticated electronic components should be marketed without some degree of testing to ensure that the products are safe and do what they’re supposed to do.
New Market Report Forecasts Implanted Pain Neuromodulation
Neurotech Reports, the publisher of this newsletter, released a newly revised market research report detailing the implanted pain neuromodulation device industry. The report, titled The Market for Implanted Pain Neuromodulation Systems: 2023-2028, estimates that the total worldwide market for implanted pain neuromodulation systems will grow from $2.66 billion in 2023 to $5.88 billion in 2028. The new report breaks down the market by U.S.
Biohybrid Microelectrode Arrays Improve Biocompatibility
For seasoned professionals working with implanted neurotechnologies, the challenge has always been multi-fold: how do you achieve high resolution in neural recordings, minimize scarring, and maintain the structural integrity of brain tissue? One new development at the University of Utah is the biohybrid transition microelectrode array (TMEA). The developers of these biohybrid electrodes were motivated neural implants and the desire to ensure that an implant’s survival matches the patient’s lifespan.
Digital Conundrum
One of the most significant advances in the implanted neuromodulation device space has been the integration of digital devices such as patient controllers and handheld tablets. Of all the competitors in this market, Abbott has been at the forefront of this trend. The company’s NeuroSphere myPath digital health offering, which works with both Apple iOS and Android devices, raised the bar for connecting SCS and DRG patients with their clinicians.
Sacral Nerve Stimulation Displays Positive Safety Profile
Earlier this year, the number of patients implanted with sacral nerve stimulation devices reached 400,000, including more than 380,000 patients implanted with Medtronic’s InterStim system and more than 20,000 implanted with Axonics’ SNM devices. Reaching this milestone provides us with an occasion to reflect on safety of SNS devices. As analyzed in a recent review, since 2016, there has been a stea…
Visual Neuroprosthetics Vendors Continue to Innovate
The quest to restore sight to those blinded one of the most technologically challenging applications of neuromodulation over the past few decades. Retinal stimulation devices, developed to assist those affected degeneration, translate visual data into electrical impulses. These signals, either initiated from mounted cameras or directly from microchips in the retina, are conveyed to the brain, helping patients discern patterns of light and darkness, which with training, translates into meaningful imagery.
Paving the Pathway
In the time that has transpired since the medical device industry mourned the loss of the Medicare Coverage of Innovative Technology program, more than a handful of neurotech companies, including many startup firms, have felt the pain. After being promised they would qualify for at least four years of CMS coverage once they got FDA approval, recipients of breakthrough device designation found out that was just a cruel ruse when CMS pulled the plug on the MCIT program.
New Apple Patents Hint of Bioelectronic Medicine Advances
Apple Inc. has long been interested in developing wellness capabilities for their wearable devices, such as ECG and glucose monitoring in Apple Watch and EEG sensing for detection of cognitive states (based on EEG activity in the alpha frequency band) in AirPods. More recently, Apple’s interests started to expand toward developing medical devices for bioelectronic medicine disorders. One of their r…
SpineX Reports Progress Treating Cerebral Palsy
Among all the neurological and neuromuscular diseases and disorders, cerebral palsy represents a significant untapped potential for neurotech vendors. Although the Bioness L300 system received FDA clearance for treating foot-drop in children with CP in 2013, there have been few neurotech approaches to treat the underlying cause. CP is the most common of all childhood disabilities, with about 500,000 children and more than 250,000 adults in the U.S.