Boston Scientific Corporation and Mayo Clinic are teaming up to share intellectual property to stimulate the rapid development of medical devices that addresses unmet clinical needs. The collaboration enables both parties to contribute ideas and intellectual property to solve pressing medical problems and builds upon the strengths of both parties.
As part of the collaboration, small and nimble teams of Boston Scientific engineers and Mayo Clinic physicians will work together to develop new medical technologies in areas that include interventional cardiology, heart rhythm management, endoscopy, neuromodulation, urology and pelvic health. The collaboration is being managed through Mayo Clinic Ventures, which serves Mayo Clinic by finding partners that can bring Mayo’s inventions to the marketplace to improve medicine everywhere.
“Open approaches to innovation, such as our collaboration with Mayo Clinic, can more quickly put better tools and devices in the hands of physicians to improve the health and well-being of patients,” says Michael F. Mahoney, president and CEO, Boston Scientific in the press release. “Our continued investment in this collaboration is an example of our commitment to further investing in jobs and innovation as a result of the recent suspension of the Medical Device Tax.”
Several programs are currently underway, including two Mayo Clinic studies evaluating:
– A guide catheter designed to enable a physician to pass a guidewire across a narrowed aortic valve as part of the procedure for catheter-based aortic valve replacement. In the current procedure, physicians may struggle to feed the wire across the stenotic valve’s strong current of blood. Doing so can increase procedure time, a patient’s exposure to X-rays and even cause damage to the valve and arteries. It may also dislodge plaque that could result in a stroke. The catheter design shows promise in positioning the guidewire more easily during the procedure.
– Use of the Boston Scientific Precision Spectra Spinal Cord Stimulator System to block the neural signals that trigger shortness of breath and muscle fatigue during exercise among patients with heart failure. This study will evaluate if blocking signals from organs to the brain can moderate control of the heart and vasculature for these patients. In the U.S., the Precision Spectra System is indicated as an aid in the management of chronic intractable pain of the trunk and/or limbs, including unilateral or bilateral pain associated with failed back surgery syndrome, intractable low back pain and leg pain.
