Medical Devices Today

MiCardia Corp.

Article preview from Start Up- January 1, 2011

Patients requiring mitral valve repair of the heart to reduce recurrent leakage of blood or residual regurgitation after initial implant can now avoid going under the knife for a second time. MiCardia's Dynaplasty platform has been designed to change the shape of an implantable medical device in response to fluctuations in anatomical conditions. For mitral valve repair, MiCardia's shape-memory nitinol device is similar to a standard annuloplasty ring, but when activated, pulls the two leaflets together in such a fashion as to significantly minimize regurgitation.

Nanostring Unveils Its Molecular Diagnostics Strategy

Article preview from Start Up- December 1, 2010

One strategy for growth among analytical platform companies is to leverage its instrumentation sales channel by developing or acquiring diagnostics content. Nanostring is now doing this by in-licensing a gene expression signature for breast tumor typing. And unlike other molecular tests for guiding breast cancer therapy, which are performed in specialty CLIA labs run by their developers, this one will be broadly distributed to hospitals and pathology laboratories globally.

Medical Device Investing 2010 and Beyond: Time To Challenge the Conventional Wisdom

Article preview from Start Up- December 1, 2010

A new analysis by Aisling Capital and Silicon Valley Bank questions the assumption that bets in medtech companies pay off more quickly and surely than biopharma investments. However, when medical device companies win, they win big.

Slender Medical Ltd.

 Article preview from Start Up- December 1, 2010

For nonsurgical body contouring,Slender Medical Ltd. has developed a device that uses high intensity-focused ultrasound to effectively treat local anatomical areas like the chin and arms, so it is being positioned to either augment liposuction or as stand-alone therapy. Because of a dual-head applicator comprising two ultrasonic transducers, the Slender system is able to both transmit ultrasonic waves and receive the ultrasonic signal. As a result, it can monitor temperature at the same time it extracts fat tissue, leading to a safer outcome for the patient.

Hygieia Inc.

Article preview from Start Up- November 01, 2010

An urgent need exists for a simple and cost-effective way to support insulin therapy, mainly for people with type 2 diabetes, in between physician check-ups. Hygieia Inc. plans on addressing this need in a big way with its patient- and clinician-friendly Diabetes Insulin Guidance System (DIGS), designed to replace commonly used glucose meters that simply provide blood sugar readings. Hygieia's DIGS device is designed to support diabetes patients' glycemic control by providing them with with simple dose-by-dose insulin recommendations.

Arineta Ltd.

Article preview from Start Up- November 01, 2010

Instead of relying on a conventional whole-body computed tomography scan in a hospital setting for cardiac imaging, cardiologists could someday have a smaller, lighter and less expensive CT system in their own office. Israeli-based Arineta Ltd. is developing just such a dedicated cardiovascular CT device.

Advancing Ablative Tumor Therapies Into Primary Treatments

Article preview from Start Up- November 01, 2010

For many cancers, there is a need for a third option between the two current choices of radical tissue destruction and watchful waiting. New cancer ablation devices in development have the potential to fill that gap. Ablative tumor therapies can play a role in eradication of early-stage and localized tumors, as salvage therapies in patients who've failed other therapies, and for patients whose health precludes surgery or further radiation. Ablation has many advantages. It's a cost-effective and minimally invasive alternative to robotic surgery or radiation devices, and may lead to fewer side effects and complications than current primary tumor treatments. But proving that ablation can save lives compared to more radical forms of therapy requires clinical evidence from multiyear outcome trials that few smaller companies are willing to invest in. There's little evidence to date that venture investors will see returns. But the race is on among companies hoping to become the first device approved for low-risk, localized prostate cancer, a potentially game-changing event.

On The Hunt For Vulnerable Plaque InfraReDx Improves Stenting Safety

Article preview from Start Up- November 01, 2010

Whatever happened to vulnerable plaque? More than a decade ago, vulnerable plaque was a hot topic that was hoped would explain many incidents of sudden cardiac death in patients without other symptoms of coronary artery disease. While many experts believe the theory underlying this concept remains sound, proving its validity and then developing both diagnostic tools to identify what have been called "vulnerable patients" and then therapeutic devices to treat them has turned out to be a difficult and lengthy challenge that remains unsolved. InfraReDx Inc. remains active in this area, and according to CEO and founder James Muller, MD, is closing in on a solution. InfraReDx recently raised $21 million in its Series D financing round.

Stentys' IPO: European Public Markets Opening For Device Companies?

Article preview from Start Up- November 01, 2010

The emerging device companies that have been hardest hit by the economic woes of the past couple of years have been those looking for later-stage financing. These companies face venture investors who are either unwilling or unable to invest in late-stage deals, while also confronting an IPO market that largely remains closed to them, particularly in the US. In Europe, however, that may be changing, most notably in France, where Stentys SAS, which is developing stents to treat acute myocardial infarctions, recently became the second device company to successfully go public this year.

Welsh Carson Taps Into Spinal Market with K2M Buy

Article preview from Start Up- September 01, 2010

Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, a long time investor in health care services companies, signaled its intent to invest more deeply in the device sector with the acquisition of a majority position in spinal company K2M Inc.