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One of the first commercial applications of functional electrical stimulation was foot drop stimulation, to address gait abnormalities caused post stroke or other neurological disorders. Several neurorehabilitation firms in Canada, Europe, and the U.S. emerged offering either surface or minimally invasive neurostimulation devices. Recently, a team of clinicians and neural engineers in Washington state developed a new approach to foot-drop stimulation.

Contents Dry eye device therapies staged for a comeback Olympic Ophthalmics and Oyster Point are pursuing neuromodulation therapies despite Allergan’s device exit. Closed-loop VNS for heart failure has untapped potential Startup firm Ceryx Medical is using respiratory sinus arrhthmia as a key input in their system. New indications loom large for bioelectronic medicine Two industry veterans and an NIH representative offered advice on finding new opportunities.

The market for brain-computer interface systems has expanded considerably in recent months as new vendors have entered the space and existing players have moved to solidify their positions. Investor interest remains strong despite—or perhaps because of—tech entrepreneurs’ investment in companies like Blackrock Neurotech, Kernel, and Neuralink [NBR Jul21 p1]. One new entrant in the BCI space is a Po…

The market for spinal cord stimulation systems treating chronic back and leg pain has advanced dramatically over the last 20 years. In the beginning the market was dominated , Medtronic, offering one basic form of therapy, tonic dorsal column stimulation. Since that time, not only have new competitors entered the market, but a steady stream of new paradigms has emerged, including DRG stimulation, h…

Ultrasound has recently emerged as a viable method of stimulating autonomic nerves. Currently. Two major medtech manufacturers—GE Research and Medtronic—are testing the waters, as are several academic research groups. Ultrasound’s advantages are readily apparent. It avoids a risky surgical procedure for implanting stimulating electrodes on delicate autonomic nerves and instead can deliver energy wirelessly from the skin surface.

The market for treating bowel and bladder disorders with bioelectronic medicine therapies has become more crowded in recent months as new vendors have entered the space and existing competitors have expanded their product offerings. The primary indication vendors are targeting is overactive bladder, though there are also applications in treating fecal incontinence and other forms of urinary incontinence.

Xavier Becerra, the former congressman from California, took over as Secretary of Health and Human Services just a few weeks ago and has already found himself in the throes of controversy when President Biden announced the ARPA-H program [see article, p1]. While it is currently envisioned that ARPA-H will be housed within NIH because of its strong alignment with the NIH mission and because of NIH’s…

The market for treating obstructive sleep apnea represents one of the most lucrative opportunities for vendors of bioelectronic medicine. The early market leader, Inspire Medical, has experienced rapid growth after a very successful IPO. But two other public firms with regulatory approval in Europe are planning to take market share from them once they obtain FDA approval, and a host of startups are getting ready to offer new therapies to clinicians and patients.

A team of researchers at the University of Oxford in the U.K. has identified a novel target for treating movement disorders. The investigators, including Alex Green, an associate professor of neurosurgery, and Tim Denison, a professor of engineering science, used Bioinduction Ltd.’s Picostim DBS system to stimulate the pedunculopontine nucleus in Parkinson’s-like multiple systems atrophy. The team has begun a feasibility trial called MINDS with five subjects with MSA receiving closed-loop DBS of the PPN.

Neurotech Reports, the publisher of the Neurotech Business Report and BioElectRx Business Report newsletters, announced that founders and CEOs of several promising bioelectronic medicine startups will present at the Fifth Annual Bioelectric Medicine Forum on April 5, 2022. The event will take place in New York City, although participation via Zoom videoconference will be accomodated. Presenters inc…