Medical Devices Today

Delphinus Medical Technologies Inc.

Article preview from Start-Up - December, 2011

Delphinus Medical Technologies Inc. is applying underwater sound wave technology to more accurately and safely detect breast cancer. The Michigan-based company, a spin-out of the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, has developed a full-breast ultrasound tomography system that quickly and effectively differentiates benign from malignant breast masses without compression or radiation exposure.

 

Awarepoint’s Mobile Health Solution For Hospitals Drives Top-Line Growth

Article preview from Start-Up - December, 2011

Awarepoint, a New Leaf Venture’s portfolio companies, has adapted mobile IT to create a real-time tracking and location system that can help hospitals save money by running more efficiently while also increasing revenue.

Buyer Appetite Might Appeal To GI Device Investors

Article preview from Start-Up - December, 2011

A long-time darling of venture capital, the gastrointestinal sector has yet to meet expectation of VCs who wagered on technologies to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease, Barrett’s esophagus and even obesity. But some notable acquisitions, including Covidien’s purchase of privately held Barrx, may present a ray of hope for investors in GI companies.

The Interventional Suite Of The Future

Article preview from Start-Up - December, 2011

The cardiac interventional suite has historically welcomed high-tech, cutting-edge tools. But with hospitals scrutinizing expenditures more closely than ever before, such tools must now prove themselves. Hospitals are now placing a premium on technologies that can improve safety, efficiency, and flexibility while streamlining workflow. A handful of companies are now offering products designed to meet these needs, and providers are starting to take notice.

PlaqueTec Ltd.

Article preview from Start-Up - November, 2011

Cambridge, UK-based PlaqueTec Ltd. is developing a coronary artery blood sampling technology combined with biomarker analysis to map the biological processes associated with the development and rupture of vulnerable plaque. The ambitious young company plans to use this information to detect and monitor plaque biomarkers, and then use these patented data to help identify drug candidates for atherosclerosis.

InfraScan Inc.

Article preview from Start-Up - November, 2011

InfraScan Inc. has developed a handheld device for detecting bleeding in the brain in head trauma patients. Such trauma typically causes blood from ruptured vessels to pool in the skull cavity. The trapped blood compresses the brain and increases intracranial pressure, which leads to brain damage. However by beaming near-infrared light at the brain and then analyzing the light reflected back at the device, the Infrascanner reveals the presence or non-presence of an intracranial hematoma, for triage or follow-up diagnostics.

Jumpstarting US Device Trials

Article preview from Start-Up - November, 2011

FDA released two draft guidance documents and announced a new pilot program last week in an attempt to make it easier for companies to begin clinical trials in the US. The first draft guidance, issued November 10, focuses on streamlining requirements to initiate and make changes to very-early-stage clinical studies, including first-in-human trials, which are now often conducted overseas for breakthrough technologies. As part of that effort, FDA is also launching a pilot program where selected sponsors will seek to initiate early feasibility trials, including first-in-human studies, by applying the draft guidance recommendations.

Mobile Health Promises To Uproot, Uplift Medical Devices

Article preview from Start-Up - November, 2011

The health care industry is being swept up in a technological twister, again. Ten years ago, it was the Internet. Today, it’s mobile technology. How are medical device companies, start-ups and investors harnessing this power to create better devices, improved clinical outcomes and richer financial returns?

Some VC Funds Have Miles To Go While Others Have Burned What's In The Tank

Article preview from Start-Up - July, 2011

The slowdown and shake-out predicted to occur in the world of venture capital has come. But has it also already gone, too? The industry has certainly retrenched, but there are also signs of new life in the venture sector. For the past two years, we've tracked a few dozen life sciences firms, with an eye on which ones have nearly tapped out their older funds and which have fresh cash to invest in young start-ups. Here's an updated look at the venture fund landscape, showing the firms with full tanks and the ones who are running on empty, based on SEC filings, firm announcements, and our own database and reporting.

Flex Biomedical Inc.

Article preview from Start-Up - October 1, 2011

Intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid, which mimics the lubricating properties of natural synovial fluid and lessens friction and pain in the osteoarthritic knee joint, has become increasingly popular for treating osteoarthritis. However, of the seven formulations available in the US, none have been proven clinically superior and they have only limited long-term benefit to the patient. Flex Biomedical Inc. is working to address these concerns with a single-injection synthetic polymer alternative to HA.