Amaza Reitmeier, Medtronic’s VP and GM of Brain Modulation, discusses the company’s recent FDA approvals for asleep DBS and expanded MRI labeling, and provides an update on adaptive DBS in an interview with SmartTRAK. 

In an interview with SmartTRAK, Medtronic’s Amaza Reitmeier, vice president and general manager of Brain Modulation, discusses the company’s recent news in deep brain stimulation (DBS), including FDA approval for asleep DBS and MRI expanded labeling that allows patients to undergo additional scan time. She also provides an update on adaptive DBS (aDBS) and the ADAPT-PD trial, which is expected to support the global regulatory submissions to commercialize aDBS in patients with PD.  Medtronic recently filed for US FDA approval of aDBS.

Click on the following video to listen to the interview (14:32 minutes). A link to download a complete transcript of the interview is also provided below.
 

Interview Transcript

SmartTRAK: Hey everybody. Anne Staylor here with SmartTRAK. Today I get to talk to Amaza Reitmeier, the vice president and general manager of Brain Modulation at Medtronic. Hey Amaza, thanks for talking with me.

Amaza Reitmeier: Hi, Anne. Great to see you.

I know that you have some big news around DBS. You guys are advancing pretty quickly. The latest news involves FDA approval for asleep vs awake DBS, MRI expanded labeling, and then maybe you could give me an update on some other aspects of the adaptive DBS. So let's get started.

AR: Fantastic.

What is the significance? Talk a little bit about the FDA approval for asleep vs awake DBS, and why is that important? A lot of people are doing that. Just talk a little bit about the significance of that and what it means for Medtronic.

AR: Thank you, Anne. Well, first and foremost, you know from our prior conversations that we're very focused on the patient and making sure that patients have the best options available to them. While you're right that asleep DBS has been being done for years, it's actually been contraindicated in our labeling. The original labeling for DBS, which was established decades ago, required test stimulation to confirm that the therapy was working. But we also know that ...

Click the button below to download and read the full transcript of the SmartTRAK perspective article "Transforming DBS Therapy - An Interview with Amaza Reitmeier" conducted by Anne Staylor, SmartTRAK's Executive Editor and VP & GM of Neuro Therapies.

SmartTRAK's Anne Staylor, VP & GM Neuro Therapies, will be attending ESMINT 2024

SmartTRAK is excited to attend the ESMINT Congress 2024, which will be held at the Pharo Congress Center in Marseille, France, September 4-6. Anne Staylor, SmartTRAK VP & GM Neuro Therapies, will be there to cover the latest Neurovascular news and developments. In this Market Snapshot video update, Anne provides the latest research and technologies impacting the market for neuro intervention, including trends to look for at the meeting.

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If you'd like to meet with Anne at ESMINT, or see more of SmartTRAK's neuro coverage, just click the button below to visit SmartTRAK Neurovascular Central.

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Dr Stephen Snyder, MD, a renowned arthroscopic surgeon who now serves as the Medical Director for Pristine Surgical, discusses his experiences in the industry over the past 50 years.

In a recent interview with SmartTRAK, Dr. Stephen Snyder, a renowned arthroscopic surgeon who now serves as the medical director for Pristine Surgical, discussed his experiences in the industry over the past 50 years.

Click on the following video to watch the interview (58:52 min). For more details, interview topics by timecode are provided below. A link to download a complete transcript of the interview is also available below.

Interview Topics By Timecode:

00:50 Dr Snyder’s background.

08:02 The most notable advances that he saw during 40+ years in arthroscopy.

21:36 Some of the first arthroscopic repair procedures.

33:47 Using advanced technologies such as augmented reality.

39:17 The current state of industry meetings.

45:38 His role with Pristine Surgical and the advancing technologies in arthroscopic cameras.

Click the button below to download and read the complete transcript of the "Advances in Arthroscopic Innovation: An Interview with Stephen Snyder, MD" conducted by Andy Knapik, SmartTRAK Senior Analyst, Soft Tissue Fixation and Arthroscopic Enabling Technologies.

Andrew S. Murtha, MD addresses the controversy surrounding kinematic vs mechanical alignment in total knee arthroplasty.

Since the introduction of kinematically aligned knee arthroplasty in the mid-2000s, there has been controversy surrounding kinematic (KA) vs mechanical alignment (MA) in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Kinematic alignment in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) attempts to restore natural limb alignment, maintaining the natural kinematic axis and ligament balance of the patient's knee. In contrast, the classic method of mechanical alignment aims to create a neutral hip-knee-ankle (HKA) axis. Advocates for KA say the technique intended to mimic a patient’s natural knee alignment will result in a more natural feeling and functioning knee. SmartTRAK had the opportunity to interview Andrew S. Murtha, MD regarding the growing interest in KA, what is driving this interest and what the future holds for KA vs MA with feedback from Benjamin Stronach, MD, associate professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Dr. Murtha is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who is currently an adult reconstruction fellow at Houston Methodist Hospital. He is also a member of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons’ (AAHKS) committee on Patient and Public Relations.

SmartTRAK: What has been your experience with kinematic alignment in total knee arthroplasty?

Andrews S. Murtha, MD: Kinematic alignment is a technical strategy in total knee arthroplasty that aims to individualize implant position by replacing only the cartilage and bone lost during the arthritis process. In its truest form, it does not place restrictions on the alignment of the components. I do not use an unrestricted kinematic alignment strategy in my practice, but the concept has expanded parameters for what is considered acceptable implant position.

In your estimation, based on your experience, what percentage of surgeons currently use KA vs mechanical alignment?

AM: In my experience, the majority of orthopedic surgeons use an adjusted mechanical alignment strategy. However, there does seem to be greater acceptance for slightly modifying the bone cuts to accommodate the patient’s native anatomy, thus reducing the need for large soft tissue releases to balance the knee. I would estimate that the percentage of surgeons using a truly unrestricted, caliper-based, resurfacing-type kinematic alignment strategy is relatively low.

What trends are you seeing in clinical practice – is KA increasing, decreasing or staying the same? What do you think is driving or limiting adoption?

AM: In general, interest in the kinematic alignment strategy has grown over the past 15 years. This interest seems to be driven by

Ariel Sutton, EVP and GM of Imperative Care’s Stroke business, discusses the Imperative Trial, the company’s Zoom Insert Catheters and more in an interview with SmartTRAK at SNIS 2024. 

Imperative Care’s Ariel Sutton, executive vice president and general manager of the company’s Stroke business, discusses results from the Imperative Trial, what it means for the acute ischemic stroke (AIS) market and the company’s newest innovations in an interview with SmartTRAK at the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgeons (SNIS) 21^st Annual meeting in Colorado Springs, CO held July 22 to 26, 2024.

To find out more, listen to the following video (15:54 minutes). A link to download the complete transcript of the interview is also provided below. 

 

Interview Transcript (scroll down to download the complete transcript)

SmartTRAK: Anne Staylor here with SmartTRAK. Today I am speaking with Ariel Sutton, EVP and GM of Imperative Care Stroke Business, live from the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgeons annual meeting in Colorado Springs. Ariel, thank you for talking with me today.

Ariel Sutton: Thank you for having me.

Let's start by having you talk about Imperative Care's presence at SNIS. What's important for us to know?

AS: We’re really excited to share the results of the Imperative Trial at SNIS this year. This is a 260-patient prospective trial across 26 centers in the US, evaluating the clinical benefits of the Zoom Stroke Solution, including aspiration with our Zoom 88 catheters. The results from the trial showed high reperfusion rates of 82.2% TICI 2B+, which is similar to previous studies that were submitted to the FDA for 510(k) clearance for reperfusion indication. There are a few metrics that we think are important to highlight from the trial. First is ...  

Click the button below to download and read the full transcript of the interview "SNIS 2024: An Interview with Imperative Care's Ariel Sutton" , conducted by Anne Staylor, SmartTRAK's Executive Editor and VP & GM of Neuro Therapies.

New partnership helps clients find and engage with physicians to accelerate product adoption and complements SmartTRAK’s expert market insights

SmartTRAK, the leading global Medtech business and market software intelligence solution in the Orthopedics, Wound Care, Regenerative Medicine and Neuro Therapy markets, announces a strategic partnership with Alpha Sophia, a leading Medtech commercial intelligence platform, to help clients quickly identify sales opportunities and position for growth in a highly competitive market.

As the trusted source for market intelligence, SmartTRAK now offers Alpha Sophia’s sales targeting capabilities on its real-time SaaS platform, creating a “one stop shop” for customers in need of actionable sales data plus market insights for strategic decision-making. The Alpha Sophia platform is an intuitive tool that enables commercial leaders to easily identify target physicians by region, site of care, specialization, procedure volume, social media presence and more. Comprehensive profiles of practitioners and organizations put unique insights at the fingertips of marketing and sales teams, enabling them to develop personalized engagement approaches.

Customers who access Alpha Sophia’s sales targeting solution through SmartTRAK’s platform will experience all the benefits of a comprehensive market insights solution, including

 In June, the Department of Justice (DOJ)   announced  the 2024 National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action, which resulted in criminal charges against 193 defendants, including 76 doctors, nurse practitioners, and other licensed medical professionals in 32 federal districts across the US, for their alleged participation in various healthcare fraud schemes. Of these, four defendants were charged in a scheme involving amniotic tissue to treat chronic wounds.

Arrests were made at the Phoenix Sky Harbor airport in June when two individuals attempting to flee the country were charged by the DOJ for defrauding Medicare over $900.0MM. According to the DOJ case summary, the two individuals “were charged by indictment with various counts of conspiracy, health care fraud, receiving kickbacks, and money laundering in connection with an alleged scheme to fraudulently bill Medicare $900 million for highly expensive amniotic allografts. The defendants targeted elderly Medicare patients, many of whom were terminally ill in hospice care, through their companies—Apex Mobile Medical LLC, Apex Medical LLC, Viking Medical Consultants LLC, and APX Mobile Medical LLC. “

SmartTRAK believes these charges are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the amount of fraud occurring in the US Market for Skin Substitutes. With a dramatic spike in Medicare claims in 2023, it’s clear widespread Medicare abuse has allowed the US Skin Substitute market to balloon, almost doubling in just one year! The abuse is primarily limited to amniotic tissue products, which held 52.5% of the US market in 2022 and 64.5% of the market in 2023.

In this downloadable article, SmartTRAK discusses in detail the DOJ investigation and its impact on the Skin Substitute market, including:

• SmartTRAK Financial Analysis of the Market
• The Impact on Established Market
• Potential Drivers for Change
• Criteria for Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Focused (MPFS) Players
• What Could Impact the Market
• What the Future Holds

Click the button below to download and read the complete "Skin Substitute Market Rocked by DOJ Investigations" article by Susan Paquette, SmartTRAK VP & General Manager, Wound.  

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the medical device industry in myriad ways including enhanced diagnostics and imaging tools, more precise and consistent robotics and personalized medicine for improved patient care, and more. Where AI can also make a significant impact is in big data and predictive analytics by reducing staff administration, increasing efficiency and avoiding drowning in volumes of disparate data. But relying on AI alone for data and analytics has its pitfalls, especially when hallucinations occur resulting in flawed results and inaccurate predictions. That’s why having human experts behind the AI is critically important.

In this episode of DeviceTalks AI Podcast, Joe Mish, VP of Sales for SmartTRAK,  summarizes how SmartTRAK leverages AI tools alongside expert analysts to offer device customers one trusted source for market intelligence.  Joe discusses how Medtech customers rely on the unique, combined power of SmartTRAK’s Insights-as-a-Service platform and market and data experts to more quickly make strategic decisions around new product innovations and market expansions. With over a decade's worth of data and collective intelligence in the system, the predictive capabilities of AI and the power of non-hallucinating human insights, SmartTRAK might just be the “holy grail” solution. Just click the video below to listen in to learn more! 

A link to download the complete interview transcript is provided below.

 

0:00:00 Kayleen Brown: Hi everyone, I’m Kayleen Brown of DeviceTalks. Some exciting news to start. Our first four episodes of AI Meets Life Sci has more than 8500 plays. We’re so grateful that you’re interested in how AI is affecting our industry as much as I am. And as you probably noticed, we took a short break and we did that to speak to our audience in order to better understand how we can evolve that series, we learned two things. One, there’s an appetite for more artificial intelligence focused conversations. And two, we learned that though there’s an appetite for these conversations, there’s a hunger for these conversations to be specific to the medical device industry.

0:00:39 Kayleen Brown: So because of that, we’ve rebranded our series AI Meets Life Sci to DeviceTalks AI. DeviceTalks AI will feature exclusive conversations with the largest medtech OEMs and other industry stakeholders to better understand how they’re using artificial intelligence to reshape the industry. But you can still find us on every major podcast platform. Just search for DeviceTalks and make sure that you’re subscribed to DeviceTalks on YouTube.

0:01:06 Kayleen Brown: Today’s episode is extra special as we premiere under our new name. First, you’ll hear an interview with Joe Mish, vice president of sales at SmartTRAK. Joe reveals how SmartTRAK’s cutting-edge approach to market intelligence combines real-time analysis with the human touch of a world-class team. We will better understand how AI has helped speed up the market analysis process and how these technologies enhance strategic decision-making in market intelligence.

0:01:36 Kayleen Brown: After that is our keynote interview with Dr. Ha Hong, chief artificial intelligence officer at Medtronic Endoscopy. I’ll be joined by my AI Meets Life Sci co-host Brian Buntz, and we’ll discuss how Dr. Hong is integrating AI into Medtronic’s endoscopy unit, the potential impact of AI on healthcare outcomes, the importance of patient-centric AI design, and the promising future of AI in the medical device industry.

0:02:05 Kayleen Brown: As always, I’m so thankful for your continued support and I’m so excited about this new iteration of AI Meets Life Sci. Now, DeviceTalks AI. Again, we’re going to be specifically talking to medtech companies about how they’re integrating artificial intelligence for better health and business outcomes. So, let’s kick off our inaugural episode of DeviceTalks AI with my conversation with Joe Mish, vice president of sales at SmartTRAK.

0:02:36 Kayleen Brown: Joe Mish, vice president of sales for SmartTRAK Business Intelligence welcome to DeviceTalks AI. I’ve been so looking forward to sitting down with you and learning more about how artificial intelligence is integrating into the data world and helping our industry understand how the industry at large can look in the future. So with that, thank you again for joining us. I want to start at a 40,000 foot level, Joe.

0:03:05 Kayleen Brown: So can you tell our audience about SmartTRAK? What do you do and who do you serve?

0:03:11 Joe Mish: Absolutely. So SmartTRAK is a real time software as a service business intelligence platform. We provide rich market-level data, competitive intelligence and strategic insights to the medical device community. Essentially, we partner with medical device companies, OEM manufacturers, even financial service groups like VC and PE groups, as well as consulting organizations that really invest heavily in the medtech sector.

0:03:41 Kayleen Brown: I think your summary was a great high-level summary, but can you walk us through how real-time analysis is being conducted and ...

Click the button below to download the complete transcript of the interview featuring Joe Mish, SmartTRAK Director of Sales.

We are pleased to announce that John Hatchell has joined the team at SmartTRAK as Director of Sales for the Commercial team. John has 13 years of Medical Device sales and leadership experience within Orthopedics, helping to support trauma, joint replacement and robotics for Stryker and Biomet. Most recently, he has been the founder and CEO of TYDEi Health, a provider-focused business intelligence and optimization platform.