Trice has a greatly disruptive product, an instant MRI in the doctors office for $450.  Patients get an instant diagnosis. A clinical trial will study the diagnostic arthroscopy in the physicians office using a needle with a camera and light source. They are just getting started. Their second generation Mi-Eye is fast and simple as a needle biopsy and the image is great.  Raised $18M in Series B and held the first-ever National Sales meeting in 2017. They have a CPT Codes for Diagnostic Arthroscopy.   Watch Trice!  

An Orthopedics Startup is quietly dominating Dynamic Imaging

http://www.tricemedical.com/

#3 Augmedics (Israel)

Israel-based Augmedics, founded in 2014, created a surgical technology that overlays spinal information on the spine of a patient via a headset.

The AR display combines the digital and physical worlds to effectively allow surgeons to look underneath a spinal patient’s skin. It’s the closest thing you can find to X-ray vision in the real world.

Like the AccuVein systems, Augmedics’ xvision allows users to view the anatomy of a patient without incisions, which enables them to perform more procedures externally or through minimally invasive surgeries.

Billed as “see through surgery,” the xvision system employs transparent AR displays from Lumus, a company that makes many of the see-through AR lenses for high quality commercial headsets.

#4 In2Bones Global (Memphis, TN) –  Category:  Extremities

In2Bones is on fire! Starting in August 2016, the company completed a consolidation merger with its French subsidiary, In2Bones, SAS (Lyon, France) to form In2Bones Global, Inc headquartered in Memphis, TN. Since the merger, the company has launched several innovative products including the NeoView® PEEK Distal Radius Plate, the NeoSpan® SuperElastic Compression Staple, the Reference Toe System™, AlloAid® PIP, AlloAid® Nail, the CoLink™ Forefoot Plating System, the 5MS™ 5^th Metatarsal Fracture Repair System and the CoLag™ Compression Screw System.The CoLag™ Screw represents an entirely new concept in orthopaedic bone fixation.Almost nothing has happened in orthopaedic screw design in the past 25 years.The CoLag™ screw with its “compressive stability” feature highlights the true game changing design work of In2Bones.As is true with all In2Bones implants, the CoLag Screw is providedsterile, UDI compliant and traceable.In2Bones is growing and advancing the science within the extremity market.It is a company to watch!www.i2b-usa.com 

#5 ActiveProtective (Philadelphia, PA) – Category: Trauma

AP is trying to solve the coming epidemic of fragility hip fractures as the baby boomers move into their 8th decade.  AP has developed a wearable belt that deploys an airbag when a fall is detected to help prevent hip fractures in older adults.  They are focusing on a consumer play in the personal safety category (translation – no FDA). Huuuuuge market, a small team, a recently closed $2.6M seed round and a Series A round, and will complete their first pilot in 2017.  Watch the Ted Talk (5 mins)

These guys are ones to watch.

http://activeprotective.com/

#6 EnHatch (Hoboken, NJ) – Category: Software

Enhatch is developing AI for the medical device industry focused on improving planning, logistics, and education.  Their system can actually predict implant sizing from plain 2D x-rays.

From the website:  At Enhatch, we are building a platform for the Enterprise to build better and stronger relationships with their customers that starts before the very first pitch. When you are selling a complex product, like medical devices, jet engines or the like, there are hundreds of touch points with a potential customer before they decide to buy. Many of those interactions are supported by employees who do not have the word sales in their title. Enhatch has the technology to speed up your sales cycle and close more deals by making every employee an advocate for the customer.

In 2015, Enhatch acquired Surgisoft, the most advanced medical device inventory management solution in the industry. Since then, Enhatch has built the industry’s most comprehensive Patient-Driven Technology™ platform enabling device manufacturers and sales teams to easily access the most relevant education materials, patient-specific planning software, inventory controls, sales management tools, and financial reporting.

https://www.enhatch.com/ 

 

#7 ReJoint (Milan, Italy) – Category: Total Joints

ReJoint, an entrepreneurial group in Italy is challenging the status quo.  This is the first startup to bring together all of the latest technologies for a better TKA product and service.  ReJoint is leveraging AI + 3D printing + wearables.  They are partnering with Enhatch for the Fit2Kit algorithm. ReJoint has a library of  thousands of sizes for each patient (any combination of lateral and medial geometries), but in the end, only one (the perfect fit) is shipped to the surgery.  Think no-overhand or under-hang for femoral and tibial bone coverage.  First-in-man surgeries are scheduled for early 2019.  https://www.rejoint.life

#8 The NextStep Companies (Akron, OH) – Category: Total Joints

Randy Theken, known as the founder of Theken Spine, is a young serial entrepreneur that you have to take seriously.  He has just gone “all in” on additive manufacturing.  He’s created three complementary companies – NextStep Arthropedix, NextStep Ideas, and Slice Manufacturing Studios – that will deliver disruptive 3D printed technology in total joints.  Randy claims, “Within five years, I intend to be able to make the claim: NextStep is the largest medical device manufacturer producing implant devices, using 3D printing technology.”  Still pretty stealthy.  Stay tuned.  For more insight read – A peek into serial entrepreneur Randy Theken’s new venture, NextStep

http://www.theken.us/

#9 CyMedica Orthopedics (Phoenix, AZ) – Category: Sports Medicine 

CyMedica is converging two technologies in sports medicine. Think brace + muscle stimulation in a convenient, app-controlled muscle activation.  These guys just closed $6M and have a fresh 510(k) clearance.

The e-vive system provides wireless, app-controlled muscle stimulation therapy individualized for each patient’s comfort and convenience, E-vive helps keep patients engaged with their rehab by tracking their progress and allowing data sharing with clinicians.

http://www.cymedicaortho.com/

#10 OrthoSpace (Caesarea, Israel) – Category: Sports Medicine [ acquired by Stryker ]

 There are few good options for patients with massive rotator cuff tears.  Enter OrthoSpace. They have created a biodegradable balloon that acts as a spacer or bursa between the acromion and the humeral head.  The InSpace balloon creates a physical barrier between tissues in the subacromial space.  This low invasive procedure just takes a few minutes.  OrthoSpace raised $7M last Christmas.  OrthoSpace is selling in Europe and enrolling in a US clinical study.

http://orthospace.co.il/

Surgery Animation

#11 Treace Medical (Ponte Vedra Beach, FL) – Category: Extremities

Bunion deformity surgery has a bad rap.  Given the vast majority of surgical treatments are “metatarsal osteotomies” with published recurrence rates as high as 78%, it isn’t hard to see why!  While osteotomies by nature address only the “symptom” of the bunion, Treace Medical has developed a game-changing surgical treatment, called the “Lapiplasty procedure”, designed to reproducibly correct the multi-plane bunion deformity at its root cause. The company believes Lapiplasty will change the negative stigma of bunion surgery by dramatically reducing recurrence rates and improving the mechanics and function of the affected toe.   Over the past year the Lapiplasty procedure has gained rapid clinical adoption and was recently awarded a broad method patent.   A large neglected market, a disruptive therapy, plus an “A-list” board of directors with a track record for home runs, puts this one on my radar.

#12 Green Sun Medical (Fort Collins, CO) – Category: Spine 

These guys have developed a smart brace for scoliosis for children. Goal is to reverse the scoli forces as the kid grows, to have a more comfortable brace that kids will actually wear, and to avoid surgery. Currently in clinicals.

Suggest a hot startup that I missed – tiger@TigerBuford.com