The Mayo Clinic as acquired an 10.9% stake in epilepsy treatment neuromod startup NeuroOne’s parent firm, according an SEC filing from the company.
NeuroOne is developing a “thin film” electrode technology, originally from the University of Wisconsin, designed to be implanted in the brain. The film can detect irregular brain activity, accurate to single neurons, to pinpoint the source of seizures and tremors, according to the filing, and has been used in testing at the Mayo Clinic.
The technology combines detection alongside deep brain stimulation treatment and ablation capabilities to monitor and treat irregular brain activity which leads to epileptic seizures and tremors associated with Parkinsons, according to the SEC filing, which was posted last month.
NeuroOne said its film technology has “a smaller footprint” than existing technology, with more electrodes, and that the minimally invasive procedure to implant it operates though “a dime sized burr hole versus a full craniotomy” which is required for current technologies.
In the filing, the company said that its tech has “been tested over the years at both Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, or WARF, the owners of our licensed patents, and Mayo Clinic located in Rochester Minnesota, in both pre-clinical models as well as through an IRB approval at Mayo Clinic for clinical research.”
NeuroOne said it will need to perform more testing before the technology is verified, but confirmed plans to continue testing and eventually seek regulatory clearance for the tech platform.
The company said it will initially aim to focus on the epilepsy market, looking later at treating Parkinson’s, essential tremors and dystonia, according to the filing.
