Cincinnati Children's Hospital in the U.S. and Ben-Gurion University in Israel are jointly developing medical devices and tools sized specifically for children. The initiative, reported in MedCity News, will help address one of the biggest unmet needs in healthcare--a shortage of devices and surgical tools designed for pediatric patients.
The ideas apparently displayed enough promise that Cincinnati Children's is exploring how to bring them to market. CincyTech, a public-private seed-stage investor based in Ohio, will help the hospital target which ideas have the best chance for commercialization, according to the story.
Cincinnati Children's doctors traveled to Ben-Gurion University to brainstorm with engineers there and they developed at least 10 viable projects that warrant further work. Because the ideas don't have patent protection yet, Cincinnati Children's declined to disclose to MedCity News the specifics.
Medical device industry leaders have long acknowledged the need for pediatric-friendly devices and medical tools, but have clashed with the FDA about how to address the matter. Regulators recently held a workshop, however, intended to generate ideas on the issue. In the interim, outside efforts have continued. Earlier this year, for example, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and the Georgia Institute of Technology forged a $20 million research partnership focused on developing medical devices designed specifically for pediatric care.
Congress has also attempted to encourage quicker development of pediatric devices.
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