Current Pulse

Future of AF Ablation Catheter Technologies
A research project is now complete that identifies the future of medical technology to treat atrial fibrillation, as conducted by the staff at design and technology consultancy Cambridge Design Partnership. A common and dangerous cardiac condition affecting millions of people across the world, the report explores the emerging technologies that will lead to innovation in this field, and provides an unparalleled resource for organizations looking to develop treatments.

Atrial fibrillation is a type of cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) that affects up to 7 million people in Western Europe and the United States alone. There has been a 66% increase in associated hospital admissions in the last 20 years, and projections for these figures are to grow in the coming decades. The use of drugs treat the condition, but are less than 50% effective and often have associated side effects. Atrial Fibrillation is a major contributory factor to strokes, and if left untreated can lead to congestive heart failure.

An executive summary of the report is available of Cambridge Design Partnership’s website cambridgedesign.co.uk/ and the full report entitled, “The future of AF ablation catheter technologies” is available to interested parties on request to Dr. Keith Turner at Cambridge Design Partnership on +44.0.1223.264428 or by e-mail at kt@cambridge-design.co.uk

Charter Guidewire Launches in U.S.
Officials from Navilyst Medical announce the broadening of its embolization portfolio with the U.S. launch of its new Charter Guidewire. Design of the core-to-tip features of the Charter Guidewire are to provide clinicians with the control and precision they require during peripheral vascular procedures.

“We are excited to broaden our Embolization Portfolio,” states Chairman and CEO, Ron Sparks. “Together, the strength of our R&D Team and their ability to harness the latest technologies allow us to bring products to market providing physicians with the latest advancements to better treat their patients.”

Design of the Charter Guidewire is to resist deformation and provide precise torque to facilitate placement and distal access through the most tortuous anatomy. Its one-piece construction of a stainless steel ground core wire eliminates abrupt transitions and reduces core twisting during rotation, enabling torque transmission along the central axis. The core-to-tip design provides pushability with precise steering, tip control, and torqueability.

Additionally, the Charter Guidewire’s PTFE and GLYCE hydrophilic coatings reduce friction and increase trackability. Creation of a primer effect is through a tie layer adherence to the polyurethane jacket, enhancing durability. The tungsten and platinum coil tip, highly visible under fluoroscopy, is less traumatic and enhances shapeability and shape retention. navilystmedical.com

Bringing Innovative Products to Market
Launch of a new web portal, from The Healthcare Supply Chain Association (HSCA), aims at helping small and diverse medical device suppliers gain information about the healthcare group purchasing organization (GPO) contract process and helping them bring their products to the marketplace, serving as an additional gateway to GPOs. supplychainassociation.org/portal

CE Mark for ProPep Nerve Monitoring System
The ProPep Nerve Monitoring System, from ProPep Surgical LLC, now secures the CE Mark. ProPep Nerve Monitoring System is the first, real-time nerve identification system specifically designed for use during robotic surgery. Fast, accurate, and easy to use, the system aids a surgeon in identifying otherwise invisible nerves during minimally invasive robotic pelvic surgery. propepsurgical.com

Seeing in 3D, Just like Humans
Zygmunt Pizlo and his research team glide across a parquet dance floor – not in some club for a night on the town, but in his Purdue University Visual Perception Lab as part of critical research for a technology that is ready for licensing and commercialization. They are moving so a robot named Capek can watch them and conceptualize the research team’s actions as members move around objects. The goal is to simulate visual perception in the robot so it can see more like humans.

“Enabling robots and other machines to see the world in 3D like humans is one of the biggest challenges in robotics and artificial intelligence,” explains Pizlo, a professor in the Purdue Department of Psychological Sciences. “Research in the field of robotic vision has typically focused on recording and analyzing 2D images, but really it is about 3D visual perception – being able to understand the 3D scene in front of the robot so that it can decide what needs to be done with an object that is in its field of view. Should the robot walk around it? Pick it up?

A video about the project is available at bit.ly/KmPGXy. The patent-pending technology is available for licensing through Eric Lynch at 765.588.3477, eslynch@prf.org, in the Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization.

Surgical Robots Move Beyond Human Limits
It is not science fiction: Patients who need surgery for everything from prostate cancer to sleep apnea today face a strong likelihood that the operating team will include a robot. Quantum Int’l Corp. (QUAN) is working hard to deliver robots capable of surgical precision and speed far beyond human limitations.

Each year, more doctors and patients are opting for a robotics-assisted approach to surgery, and it is easy to see why. The smaller incisions made by robots offer greater visibility for doctors thanks to 3D imaging, plus less scarring and faster recovery for patients. The greater speed at which these remote-controlled robots are able to work allows doctors to perform many more surgeries than they could before – up to twice as many.

For these reasons, demand for cutting-edge surgical robotic technology is increasing rapidly around the world. The market for better, faster, and more affordable machines could skyrocket in the next few years as the technology improves, and QUAN is preparing to capitalize on the coming boom.

QUAN is currently preparing a list of possible targets for joint venture or acquisition that stand poised to usher in a new era of medical robotics. QUAN’s leadership has the marketing and development expertise to help early-stage robotics firms develop and deliver incredible new robotics innovations to market. quantuminternationalcorp.com/investors.html