Abbott’s launch of an upgraded version of the NeuroSphere myPath app shows that established medical technology firms are becoming more comfortable in the digital health space, according to a report in Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry. The app can help doctors more closely track their patients as they trial the company’s neurostimulation devices to address chronic pain. Designed for use with both Apple and Android devices, the app provides doctor, staff and patient with a shared view of patient-reported outcome measures through each stage of the treatment journey while trying a spinal cord stimulation (SCS) or dorsal root ganglion (DRG) therapy device.

 

 

An implanted device that stimulates tongue nerves shows promise in reducing sleep disruptions in children with Down syndrome, who are more likely than other kids to have sleep apnea, reports HealthDay. A device from Minneapolis-based Inspire Medical Systems, called a hypoglossal nerve stimulator, has already been approved by the FDA for adults with sleep apnea who can’t use continuous positive airway pressure therapy. A recent study of the system was tested in young people with Down syndrome aged 10 to 22. Surgically implanted in an outpatient setting, the device senses that the user is trying to take a breath and sends an electrical pulse to the hypoglossal nerve, causing the tongue to move forward in the mouth and open the airway. Inspire Medical Systems was formed in 2007 when the Inspire technology was spun out of Medtronic.

 

 

Using drones to deliver automated external defibrillators may be an effective way to reach patients suffering from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), according to an analysis published in European Heart Journal, reports Cardiovascular Business. In fact, the study’s authors found, drones often arrive at the scene faster than an ambulance. Researchers in Sweden studied the impact of drone deployment during 12 cases of OHCA from June to September 2020 within controlled airspace. The remote pilot responsible for the drone went through multiple training courses. The drones in question — modified versions of the DJI Matrice 600 hexacopter — were stored in special hangars operated by remote control. In all instances, an ambulance was also sent to the patient’s location.