News

The Bad with the Good Since Neurotech Reports was founded in 2001, the editors of this publication have published a market research report on the neurotechnology industry. Although the report has been revised several times since it was first published in 2001, the latest revision, available in May 2009, is the first one that offers market projections considerably lower than were published in the previous version [see article, p3].

Carbon Nanotubes Confer Unique Properties to Neurons , senior technical editor Carbon nanotubes exhibit unique electrical and mechanical properties and are the subject of intense investigations in biomedicine. In the nervous system, nanotubes have been used to construct matrices for tissue culture and scaffolds for regeneration. For example, previous work has demonstrated that nanotube substrates can impact the differentiation of precursor (stem) cells.

Icelandic Ossur hf Lends its Support to Neuroprosthetics Market ial director In less than a decade, Ossur hf, headquartered in Reykjavik, Iceland, has grown to become the world’s second largest manufacturer of prosthetic devices and a major player in the orthopedic bracing and support marketplace. The company devotes a considerable amount of its R&D effort to bionic technology with its research foc…

Passing the Baton Neuromodulation therapy delivered via deep brain stimulation is one of the most successful segments of the neurotechnology industry and offers tremendous potential for a host of new applications currently under development. But the product category is impacted -surgical challenges of inserting and maintaining leads in the basal ganglia deep within the brain. As we report in this i…

Transcranial AC Stimulation a New Neuromodulation Tool , senior technical editor There is renewed interest in transcranial stimulation as a means to manipulate brain activity and treat neurological disorders. Low-level DC current applied to the skull using surface electrodes, called transcranial direct current stimulation, can modulate cortical function in humans. Last year, we highlighted applicat…

Neurotech CEOs Make Their Case at Subdued J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference The CEOs of several neurotechnology firms were on hand at the 27th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, held in San Francisco, CA earlier this month. In contrast with prior years, conference organizers and participants scaled back on some of their extravagence—and their financial pronouncements—in light of the subdued economic climate.

Prevailing Over Paralysis When NeuroMetrix Inc. announced this month that they had acquired the intellectual property rights to Cyberkinetics’ Andara OFS system, it represented a sad ending to what was once a promising neurotechnology industry startup. Given the state of this economy and the troubles that company was having getting its humanitarian device exemption application approved, there’s probably not much that management could have done to keep the company afloat.

Spreading Cortical Depression The announcement earlier this month that Northstar Neuroscience would close its doors [see article, page 1] wasn’t a great shock to most neurotechnology industry observers. The company had been teetering for nearly a year in the wake of its failed pivotal trial of its Renova device for motor recovery from stroke. But the victims from this latest neurotech industry catastrophe extend far beyond the employees and shareholders of the Seattle firm.

Information Sickness One of the greatest challenges confronting the neuro­technology industry in the years ahead is uncovering the mechanisms as DBS exert their effect. This is not only important for the maturation of the clinical modality, but also for the growth of new products, since regulators and insurers are increasingly interested in therapies that are well understood. Mechanisms of action were at the forefront of the recent meeting of the North American Neuromodulation Society [see conference report, p7].

International Neuromodulation Society Meeting Attendees Discuss New Therapies than 500 clinicians, engineers, and researchers attended the 8th World Congress of the International Neuromodulation Society and 11th annual meeting of the North American Neuromodulation Society held in Acapulco, Mexico earlier this month. During the scientific program, numerous presenters discussed new neuromodulation therapies for treating disorders ranging from anxiety and Tourette syndrome to tinnitus and addiction.