Neurotech Users Show Value of Prosthetics at First Cyblathon Event
The first ever competition combining technology and human sport took place on October 8 at the SWISS Arena in Zurich, Switzerland. With 66 teams representing 25 countries, this competition broke new ground in the next generation of athletic competition. In recent years the organizers of the Paralympic Games have struggled with technology advances in prosthetic limbs and stimulation for muscle conditioning and how they fit into the current competitive environment.
NIH Releases 2016 Research Plan for Rehabilitation
Recognizing that rehabilitation can “help people with disabilities reach their full potential,” the NIH recently published a plan for rehabilitation research to spearhead future efforts. The five-year plan was led Medical Rehabilitation Research, an entity of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The plan sets a roadmap to guide funding and research thrusts and gain a better comprehension of the body’s repair mechanisms.
Non-Inferiority Complex
One of the themes that emerged during the 2016 Neurotech Leaders Forum earlier this month [see Conference Report, p7] was the critical importance of clinical trials for novel neuromodulation therapies. As we have witnessed repeatedly in recent years, the success or failure of a clinical trial in a new therapeutic area can have a dramatic effect on the entire industry, and not just the trial sponsors.
New Partners for Neurotech
The neurotechnology industry has benefited greatly in recent months from new funding initiatives from government agencies such as the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. But now there is a steady stream of multibillion dollar biopharmaceutical and other healthcare conglomerates investing and partnering with neurotech firms and research organizations.
Key Startups and Industry Figures to Present at 2016 Neurotech Leaders Forum
Neurotech Reports, the publisher of Neurotech Business Report, announced that several promising neurotechnology firms will present at the 2016 Neurotech Leaders Forum. The 16th annual event will take place October 24-25 in San Francisco. New additions to the agenda are Milton Morris, CEO of NeuSpera Medical Inc., Jason Richey, president of LivaNova’s neuromodulation unit, Roy Katz, vice president o…
Putting the Patient First
One of the hallmarks of successful product marketing is a customer focus that prioritizes the needs and desires of the product’s intended user. In the medical device industry, manufacturers have often conducted focus groups to discern aesthetic or usability preferences for particular device designs. But focus groups or user surveys are of little use if the product cannot obtain regulatory approval.
DARPA Prosthetics Programs Seek Natural Upper Limb
DARPA Prosthetics Programs Seek Natural Upper Limb ial director A neurally-controlled arm and hand prosthesis that will perform, look, and feel like a natural limb is the goal of two Revolutionizing Prosthetics programs funded Projects Agency (DARPA). According to Col. Geoff Ling, DARPA’s manager of the programs, the goal is not only to advance the state of the art in prosthetics, but also to have…
Neurotech Resurfaces
In the few weeks since we published Jennifer French’s article about the surface stimulation market rebounding [NBR Jun16 p1], a number of new developments have emerged that further make her case. First, as we report on page 4 of this issue, pharmaceutical giant Bayer has entered the TENS market with its Aleve direct therapy device for back pain. The compact, adhesive device, which is available for…
Surface Stim Market Rebounds with New Applications
Scarred for TENS devices from CMS and the demise of Empi, the surface stimulation market is on a slow but steady rebound. For more than 30 years, the market was dominated the treatment of pain. Many of the competitors in this space were gobbled up (formerly Encore Medical). The stream of acquisitions included vendors like Empi, Chattanooga Group, and Compex Technologies. Declining revenues and the CMS decision caused DJO to divest its Empi unit late last year.
Funding Neuroprosthetics
In the 15 years that we have published this newsletter, we have witnessed a mismatch in the way new neuromodulation and neuroprosthetics products have been funded and commercialized. Neuromodulation products such as SCS systems for chronic pain have often been funded . Investors put up money to finance device commercialization and then earn their money back after it reaches the market. The route to…