Medtronic acquires Biophan MRI safety technology:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Medtronic has acquired magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) safety patents from Biophan Technologies in a deal worth $11m. The acquisition, expected to close within 60 days, will see Medtronic purchase patents covering technologies that can make devices such as pacemakers safe for use with MRI, which can disrupt pacemakers because of the effect of the magnetic fields generated. Medtronic's range of pacemakers includes the EnPulse, EnRhythm and AT500 pacing systems, and the Kappa and Sigma product lines. Established in 2000, Pittsford, New York-based Biophan holds around 61 issued US patents and over 100 pending applications at various stages of examination. It will continue to work on the development of technologies to enable visualisation of clotting and restenosis in stents under MRI, a procedure which is not possible with current stents. The company will also continue its collaboration with its business partner Myotech, which aims to produce the Myotech circulatory support system, a device for the treatment of acute heart failure (see Clinica No 1215, p 21).