Impulse Dynamics (yes, the company for which I work) launched its new, CE-marked OPTIMIZER™ IVs implantable device for the treatment of heart failure at the 79th Annual Meeting of the German Cardiac Society (Mannheim, Germany, 3–6 April 2013). The OPTIMIZER™ IVs Implantable Pulse Generator (IPG) is a programmable telemetric device intended to treat moderate to severe heart
Comments Off 
Second Sight Receives FDA Clearance for Argus II Retinal Prosthesis
On February 4, 2013, after more than 20 years of research and development, Second Sight Medical Products, Inc., announced that its Argus® II Retinal Prosthesis System (“Argus II”) has received U.S. market approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat individuals with late stage retinitis pigmentosa (RP). This announcement follows receipt of the European
Comments Off
Spinal Modulation’s Neurostimulator for the Stimulation of the Dorsal Root Ganglion
Image Credit: Spinal Modulation Spinal Modulation was founded by Mir Imran in Menlo Park, CA in 2004. The company has developed an implantable neurostimulator to deliver signals to the primary sensory neurons located within the dorsal root ganglion (DRG). The idea is that unlike dorsal column spinal cord stimulation, the Spinal Modulation system breaks the
Comments Off
BioControl’s MiniatURO Muscle Stimulator to Alleviate Incontinence (1999-2006)
BioControl Medical, Ltd. was founded in 1999 by Yossi Gross, and is based in Yehud, Israel. BioControl’s first devices were developed to treat incontinence due to overactive bladder, stress, and interstitial cystitis. In 2006 American Medical Sytems acquired an exclusive license for the use of the technology in urology, gynaecology and other pelvic health applications. The BioControl MiniatURO
Comments Off
BioControl’s CardioFit System for the Treatment of Heart Failure via Vagus Nerve Stimulation
BioControl Medical, Ltd. was founded in 1999 by Yossi Gross, and is based in Yehud, Israel. BioControl’s first devices were developed to treat incontinence due to overactive bladder, stress, and interstitial cystitis. In 2006 American Medical Sytems acquired an exclusive license for the use of the technology in urology, gynecology and other pelvic health applications.
Comments Off
Intrapace Abiliti Gastric Stimulator for the Treatment of Obesity
Intrapace was founded in Mountain View, CA by Mir Imran in 2001 to develop an implantable system for the treatment of obesity. Once implanted and activated, the Abiliti system is designed to detect when a person consumes food or drink. When food or drink is detected, the system delivers a series of low-energy electrical impulses to the
CerebralRx FitNeS Vagus Nerve Stimulator for Epilepsy Treatment
In June 2011, Israeli neuromodulation systems developer BioControl Medical spun-off CerebralRx to market its FitNeS vagus nerve stimulation system for the treatment of refractory epilepsy. The FitNes system employs platform technology developed for the CardioFit® system for treating congestive heart failure (HF). CerebralRx spun out of BioControl Medical to expand the use of this technology outside of cardiology for the
Comments Off
Enopace Biomedical
Enopace Biomedical Ltd. was founded in 2008 by Yossi Gross in Caesarea, Israel. Very scant details are available besides that it is developing a neuromodulation system to treat patients with congestive heart failure. According to the company, its technology consists of a minimally invasive, implantable neurostimulation device that increases cardiac efficiency by reducing left ventricular workload. From Enopace’s patent
Comments Off
Second Sight’s Implantable Retinal Prosthesis
Second Sight Medical Products, Inc., located in Los Angeles, CA, was founded in 1998 by Alfred Mann to develop a retinal prosthesis to provide sight to patients blinded from outer retinal degenerations, such as Retinitis Pigmentosa. Second Sight’s Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System is intended to provide electrical stimulation of the retina to induce visual
Comments Off
AIMD Companies Founded by Alfred E. Mann
Alfred E. Mann holds B.A. and M.S. degrees in physics from the University of California, Los Angeles and honorary doctorate degrees from the University of Southern California, The Johns Hopkins University, Western University and the Technion Institute (Israel), as well as, Research Professor, University of Southern California, and Adjunct Professor, Dept. of Bioengineering, University of
Comments Off
AIMD Companies Founded by Dr. Robert Fischell
Dr. Fischell received his BSME degree from Duke University and MS and Sc.D. degrees from the University of Maryland. Dr. Fischell was employed at the Johns Hopkins University where he was the Chief Engineer of the Space Department and worked on more than 50 spacecraft. His interests at Johns Hopkins then turned to the invention
Comments Off
AIMD Companies Founded by David R. Fischell, Ph.D.
Dr. David R. Fischell is a serial entrepreneur who has founded nine biomedical device companies in the last fifteen years. He is chairman of the Cornell University Biomedical Engineering Advisory Board, and a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. After earning his Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Cornell University, Dr. Fischell
Comments Off
Brainsgate’s Spheno-Palatine Ganglion Stimulator
Brainsgate‘s implantable pulse generator is designed to stimulate the Spheno-Palatine Ganglion. It is activated by an external transcutaneous energy transmitter. Brainsgate is evaluating the system’s capability to augment cerebral blood flow as a treatment of ischemic stroke or dementia.
Comments Off
AIMD Companies Founded by Yossi Gross
Yossi Gross (born February 5, 1947) is an Israeli medical device innovator and entrepreneur. His medical-device companies are incubated through Rainbow Medical. Currently, the following companies led by Yossi Gross are focusing on active implantable medical devices: BetaStim, developing a new neurostimulation treatment for diabetes Brainsgate, developing an implantable device for acute stroke treatment and brain
Comments Off
AIMD Companies Founded by Dr. Shlomo Ben-Haim
Dr. Shlomo Ben-Haim has held faculty appointments as a Professor of Medicine, Physiology and Biophysics, at both Harvard University and the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. His formal education is in the fields of nuclear physics, mathematics, biomedical engineering, philosophy, and medicine. Dr. Ben-Haim has published his research in over 100 scientific papers, in
Comments Off
