Five medtech companies recently won some of the top technology awards in the state of Minnesota, known as one of three major medical device hubs in the U.S. The companies competed for the Minnesota Technology Association annual Tekne Awards, which included categories ranging from artificial intelligence and machine learning to “technology for good.” Get the full story on […]
University of Minnesota
U of M releases Coventor ventilator design as open-source
The University of Minnesota recently announced that it released the design for its Coventor alternative ventilator as open-source. Minnesota’s Coventor low-cost device gained notoriety in March after researchers touted the design made from various parts totaling just $150. In April, it became the first ventilator of its kind authorized for use under the FDA’s EUA […]
How are alternative ventilators helping during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Amid the shortages of vital equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic, ventilators stand out — their presence a matter of life or death for people needing respiratory assistance. Common invasive ventilators are in short supply. While numerous companies have stepped forward to scale up production of the expensive products (usually between $25,000 and $50,000), the need […]
DeviceTalks Weekly: Ep.6 – Hear about the Coventor ventilator, COVID-19, Q1 earnings and MassDevice’s Medtech 100 Index
In this week’s episode of DeviceTalks Weekly, Aaron Tucker of the Earl Bakken Medical Center shares the origin of the recently approved Coventor ventilator, which will be manufactured at-cost by Boston Scientific. We’ll also hear comments Abbott CEO Robert Ford made during the company’s Q1 analyst call as the MassDevice team begins to dissect how […]
BREAKING: FDA authorizes U of Minnesota, Boston Scientific’s low-cost ventilator
The FDA today issued emergency use authorization (EUA) for a low-cost ventilator developed by the University of Minnesota and produced by Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX). Minnesota’s Coventor device made waves last month after researchers touted the design made from various parts totaling just $150. It’s now the first ventilator of its kind authorized for use under the […]
University of Minnesota researcher touts makeshift $150 ventilator to treat coronavirus
The University of Minnesota is touting makeshift ventilators made from $150 in parts as potential solutions amid the shortage of equipment at healthcare facilities during the COVID-19 outbreak. According to a report in the Star Tribune of Minneapolis, researchers tested the prototype on a pig, keeping the animal breathing for an hour and confirming the possibility of […]
3 ways HHS can help medtech innovators
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is doing everything from sharing more data to cultivating entrepreneurial talent and engaging in partnerships in order to support medical device innovators, the department’s CTO Ed Simcox told than 100 industry insiders in the Twin Cities today. A major goal at HHS is to build an innovation-focused […]
HHS’s healthcare startups tour is coming to Minnesota next week
[Image courtesy of Google Maps] The University of Minnesota and the Medical Alley Association will host the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) for a “Healthcare Startup Day Minnesota” event on Oct. 15. The event, which will be held at the University of Minnesota’s McNamara Alumni Center, will be HHS representatives’ sixth stop […]
University of Minnesota is launching a medical industry innovation conference
The Medical Industry Leadership Institute (MILI) at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management is launching a new conference called Convene. The conference is Oct. 3 at the Carlson School in Minneapolis; its theme this year is the intersection of healthcare and data analytics. John Hammergren, the chairman and CEO of McKesson Corp., is a featured executive spotlight […]
Tamarack’s GlideWear helps kids with painful skin condition
A company that makes ultra-low-friction fabric for people with burn injuries, amputations and pressure sores has launched a clothing line for children with a painful skin condition. Known as “butterfly children,” these patients have epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a rare genetic disorder in which their bodies do not produce a protein that would enable the skin […]
Medtech companies need to expand their philosophy: Here’s why
Medtech companies should expand their notion of who their customers are and dig deeper to discern what those customers want, according to health provider- and insurer-connected experts at the recent DeviceTalks Minnesota in St. Paul. Artificial intelligence and the proliferation of healthcare data have made it possible for medtech to consider not just individual patients […]
