ArthroFree, the first FDA-cleared wireless camera for arthroscopy and general endoscopy, promises enhanced surgical precision without cable-related interruptions. Lazurite welcomes IMMS to its distributor network, highlighting their shared focus on innovative technology and commitment to customer education, while IMMS CEO Jeffrey Thomas emphasizes their emphasis on emerging technologies to meet hospitals’ needs and reduce overhead expenses.
Team-AB, the UK Association for Medical Device Approved Bodies, aims to provide a unified voice and forum for UK Approved Bodies to ensure consistency in regulatory understanding and feedback to stakeholders amidst evolving UK Medical Device Regulations. Dr. Monisha Phillips and Mr. Vishal Thakker, appointed as co-presidents for 2024, emphasize the importance of collaboration in driving change and harmonizing approaches to bring safe and effective medical devices to the UK market. With founding members including BSI, DEKRA, and SGS, Team-AB seeks to navigate the evolving UK regulatory landscape and support the medical device sector’s growth while ensuring consistency and clarity of requirements.
Waycen has formed a strategic sales agreement with MegaMind, a healthcare company in the Middle East, to introduce its AI medical solutions, including the WAYMED Endo for gastrointestinal endoscopy and WAYMED Cough for respiratory self-screening, to the Middle Eastern medical market. Leveraging MegaMind’s extensive network of hospitals and healthcare institutions, the collaboration aims to enhance digital innovation in healthcare across the region, marking a significant export opportunity for K-Medical AI products amidst the Middle Eastern healthcare sector’s rapid growth.
Tuesday, February 20th
X-trodes has received FDA 510(k) clearance for its Smart Skin solution, a wireless wearable technology for advanced electrophysiological monitoring. The customizable dry-printed electrode patches monitor EEG, EKG/ECG, EOG, and EMG signals from anywhere on the body with accuracy equivalent to FDA-cleared clinical devices, offering researchers unprecedented accuracy outside of laboratory settings and paving the way for clinical applications in cardiovascular and sleep monitoring markets.
Medtronic announces its decision to exit its ventilator product line due to profitability concerns, marking a significant shift after its role at the forefront of pandemic relief during COVID-19. The company reports strong financial performance in its Q324 results, raising its full-year 2024 revenue growth and earnings per share guidance in response to continued momentum across various segments.
AZmed secures €15 million funding to bolster its leadership in the medical imaging industry, enabling expansion into global markets and doubling its workforce within 18 months. With partnerships already established with key healthcare institutions, AZmed aims to further develop AI software to improve diagnostic accuracy and efficiency in radiology, addressing the increasing workload faced by doctors.
Wednesday, February 21st
Researchers at the University of Chicago have developed a wireless, light-powered device thinner than a human hair, capable of regulating cardiovascular or neural activity in the body, potentially reducing complications in heart surgeries and opening new avenues for future medical devices. Published in Nature, the technology utilizes photovoltaic materials to precisely activate specific areas with light, offering a promising alternative to current therapies involving wires, with potential applications in cardiac resynchronization therapy and other medical interventions.
Microinstruments, Inc. (MMI), a robotics company focused on enhancing treatment options for complex conditions, secures $110 million in Series C financing, led by Fidelity Management & Research Company, the largest investment in microsurgery innovation to date. The funds will support the commercialization of the Symani Surgical System in high-growth markets, further clinical evidence generation, and technological advancements to expand patient access to minimally invasive, delicate procedures.
Sira Medical has obtained FDA 510(k) clearance for its augmented reality (AR) preoperative surgical planning app, aiming to provide advanced imaging to aid clinicians in decision-making. The San Francisco-based company’s hologram technology addresses challenges stemming from hidden anatomy on CT scans and MRIs, enabling surgeons to prepare with confidence and potentially reducing errors and inefficiencies in surgery.
Thursday, February 22nd
Zimmer announces the upcoming commercial launch of its Rosa shoulder robotics application in the second half of 2024, expanding its robotics portfolio to include shoulder replacements. The Rosa shoulder system aims to assist surgeons in achieving precise glenoid and humeral placement, potentially enhancing surgical outcomes and implant durability, while also integrating with Zimmer’s surgical planning system for preoperative visualization and patient-specific guides. Meanwhile, Stryker is developing a shoulder application for its Mako robot, focusing on reverse shoulder procedures and bone preparation to potentially reduce recovery time and facilitate complex procedures.
ARC Medical, a Canada-based company, intends to evaluate its fluid medical devices, JOCOAT and IPCOAT, for preventing or reducing adhesions post-surgery, particularly in orthopedic, gynecological, and abdominal procedures. The devices form a temporary barrier film upon injection into the surgical area, potentially reducing adhesion formation and addressing long-term complications such as chronic pain, bowel obstruction, and infertility, with plans for clinical trials in orthopedic surgeries in Canada and partnerships in Japan and Europe for gynecological and abdominal indications.
A team at ETH Zurich, led by Professor Stanisa Raspopovic, found that neuroprosthetics perform better when they use signals inspired by nature, such as those mimicking the activation of nerves in the sole of the foot during walking. Their research, highlighted by prosthetic legs enabling amputees to feel sensations, showcased the benefits of biomimetic stimulation, resulting in improved walking confidence and speed, as well as reduced mental strain on the users. This approach, demonstrated in clinical trials with leg amputees, suggests a shift towards biomimetic signals for neuroprosthetics to enhance their effectiveness and natural integration with the nervous system.
Friday, February 23rd
Neuralink, Elon Musk’s brain implant company, has started human trials and reports progress with their brain-computer interface, with the first patient being able to click a computer mouse using their thoughts. Despite skepticism from regulators and critics, the company aims to pair the implant with a spinal implant to potentially restore patients’ vision, hearing, and movement, utilizing a surgical robot to insert electrodes into the brain.
Aptamer Group and Neuro-Bio are collaborating to develop Optimer binders for a lateral flow test to detect Alzheimer’s disease at an early stage. Optimer binders, being oligonucleotide-based, offer advantages such as scalability, improved shelf-life, and specificity, aiming to overcome challenges associated with traditional antibody-based tests.
Philips introduces LumiGuide imaging technology, utilizing light to navigate blood vessels, now available in major aortic centers in the U.S. and Europe. LumiGuide offers radiation-free, 3D, high-resolution, color imaging of devices inside the body, potentially reducing procedure time and radiation exposure, and Philips plans to expand its use beyond aortic procedures towards entirely radiation-free surgery.
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