Exploring the World’s Largest Medical Device Maker
As a rule, we follow the technological advancements of corporate giants in tech health to help inform those of us individuals choosing to define for ourselves who we are and what we want to be in a world of powerful corporate and governmental elites. That means knowing the world and those tracking us, good and bad.
Incredible advancements are made every day by health companies seeking to do good in the world, no doubt. However, we need to follow and examine them to enhance our own capabilities and positioning. We are not victims, we are active agents in our lives. Our Health is Our Own!
This week we return to our fourth installment in our investigation of the world’s largest device maker: Medtronic (Full Disclosure, we are long Medtronic, which means we are invested for the long term with this company). As we have already done a mini-introduction, a deeper first step into understanding this company, an exploration of the cardiac subdivision, and a quick shot analysis of minimally invasive therapies unit, this week we turn to the second segment recognized within this company and its third-largest, the Restorative Therapies Group.
Segment Under Review: Restorative Therapies Group
Again, much like the Minimally Invasive Therapies Group discussed last week, discovering information about the Restorative Therapies Group is much like a patchwork detective case. The most accessible public face of Medtronic does not cleanly and clearly present these groups. However, we can begin to piece the puzzle together for ourselves with a bit of exploration.
A Chance for Rebirth
As recent as 2016, Medtronic saw this division dwindling in terms of growth and beginning to sputter. As a testament to the leadership of the company, under then CEO Omar Ishrak, Medtronic shook up and reformed the division, taking direct action. “Four core businesses now make up the group, those being: spine; brain therapies (including deep brain stimulation, neurovascular and neurosurgery, and pain stimulation); pelvic health; and specialty therapies (including advanced energy and ear, nose and throat devices).”
The reorganization paved the way for fantastic improvements over the last several years. More specifically, a smaller, more focused division would pave the way for three distinct actions and a move toward a neuroscience portfolio built for attack with technological innovation.
Acquiring Mazor
One of the leading technologies in the field for spinal surgery that increases predictability and precision operations; including not only 3D planning tools and an intra-op guidance system, but a precision Surgical Arm that operates across a number of surgical levels.
Speaking in January 2019, then CEO Omar Ishrak spoke of overcoming ongoing issues but specifically addressed the navigation system that Medtronic used to enhance its acquisition of the incredible spinal surgery company Mazor Robotics and the future value the acquisition would provide for Medtronic.
One of the most unique aspects of the conversation that Ishrak spoke of clearly indicated the fact that Medtronic was moving toward an end to end application of Medtronic Technologies. Not only would they acquire Mazor and gain an incredible ability to perform spinal surgeries but that Medtronic added systems to create a holistic product that went from surgery to the implant used in the spine itself in a way that no other company could offer.
Acquiring Titan Spine
Not to be outdone by itself, Medtronic took the holistic spinal package to the next step with a follow-up acquisition: gaining more implant tools with a company called Titan Spine. Prior to the acquisition, Titan Spine was a privately-held titanium spine interbody implant and surface technology company. Medtronic heralded the acquisition, describing the integration with Mazor as building “on an exciting phase of innovation and growth at Medtronic over the last year including the acquisition of Mazor Robotics, the launch of Mazor X Stealth™ Edition, and the launch of the Infinity™ Spinal System, cementing our leadership and offering customers the most comprehensive portfolio in the Spine industry.”
The product line itself seems very straight forward in its application to the Medtronic portfolio of products. A direct inline spinal implant that can assist with fusions that are clean, well oriented, and easy to install creates a clear sense of immediate value to current operations.
However, the most unique aspect of the technologies developed by Titan Spine, and thus acquired by Medtronic are the abilities to regrow bone using the science developed to create the new parts… No joke, you gotta check this out.
All-in-all, this acquisition makes it hard to dispute Medtronic’s claims toward their system being the Best-in-Class end-to-end solution for spinal issues. Specifically, as it “expands opportunities to bundle interbodies, screws, rods, biologics and enabling technologies like imaging and navigation to develop integrated procedural solutions.”
First-of-Its-Kind Adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation
Perhaps the most revolutionary of the developments found within this division pushing human ability forward through technological enhancement however may very well be the Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) science fused with Medtronics Brainsense and Percept Technologies.
Working to develop systems that can overcome motor skill issues that develop from diseases like Parkinson’s, Medtronic now seeks to push the accepted science behind DBS. In fact, as of last month, Medtronic has now “launch(ed) First-of-Its-Kind Adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation (aDBS) Trial in Parkinson’s Disease Patients.” More importantly, the impact on patients with DBS, in general, is rather incredible as evidenced in one of the first test cases. Increasing the quality of the devices will make the patient value expand dramatically.
As an ever-developing and value-adding proposal to the Restorative Therapies Group, Medtronic has said that in adding its own Percept Technologies to DBS with Brainsense, that they “see this technology evolving to deliver even more value over time. The recently initiated ADAPT-PD is the first trial to gather clinical evidence to unlock those capabilities… Additionally, stimulation adjusted based on patient need, aDBS, could reduce total power output and possibly extend the life of the device.”
So not only does Medtronic have a path to increased medical health but they do so with efficiencies being built in to improve the quality of the device as well.
The future for the integrated portfolio certainly does look bright as new technologies are not only pushing science but doing so in a device to patient-centric way. Diminishing recharge needs and size reduce the impact on the patient and extent the device’s function. Each advantage is seemingly not only to the company’s health but to the patients as well.
Closing Thoughts on the Third Division
We realize the processes involved in healthcare are far more complicated than we present here, however, we see possibilities that are very real nonetheless and we look forward to seeing so much more in our exploratory journey through this company. And hope to give our audience the tools to help bring a bit of understanding of the different facets of technology in health along the way.
The Restorative Therapies Group is a unique set of technologically enhanced tools that can uniquely push human health to increased levels through technological innovation. Medtronic has developed a new core structure that not only has begun to work on and fix body issues that affect motor skills directly through surgical implants in end-to-end approaches but can also now begin to work on stimulating and manipulating nerves and nerve impulses themselves to increase the quality of life outcomes for the patients involved.
Join us next week as we explore the smallest unit for this tech giant, the Diabetes Group of Medtronic. We look forward to our journey together into the world’s largest Medical Device Maker. See you next time.