Neural Implant podcast - the people behind Brain-Machine Interface revolutions

This podcast's purpose is to bring together the field of neuroprosthetics / brain machine interfaces / brain implants in an understandable conversation about the current topics and breakthroughs. We hope to complement scientific papers on new neural research in an easy, digestable way. Innovators and professionals can share thoughts or ideas to facilitate 'idea sex' to make the field of brain implants a smaller and more personal space.

Dr Christian Wende on European IP Strategy, Medtech Patents & the UPC 07/14/2025

Dr Christian Wende on European IP Strategy, Medtech Patents & the UPC In this episode, we dive into the world of European intellectual property and medtech innovation with , a German and European Patent Attorney specializing in medical technology at . With a background in mechanical engineering, a Ph.D. in liver dialysis research, and a Master of Laws in European IP law, Christian brings a rare and powerful combination of technical, legal, and clinical insight. We explore how startups and investors should think about IP strategy in Europe, the impact of the new Unified Patent Court (UPC), the nuances between U.S. and EU patent landscapes, and how IP due diligence is handled during VC rounds and M&A activity. Whether you're a founder, investor, or innovator in medtech or neurotech, this episode is packed with actionable insights. This episode is sponsored by Black Swan IP – patent strategy and legal support for neurotech innovators. Learn more at Top 3 Takeaways: When looking for a good IP lawyer, don’t try to search blindly—ask founders who’ve successfully done it before. You’ll often hear the same trusted names. And even if those lawyers are conflicted, they’ll usually refer you to a trusted colleague. The IP community is small and highly referral-driven. Becoming a qualified German and European patent attorney is a long and rigorous journey—often taking over 14 years. It includes a PhD, a three-year legal apprenticeship, two bar exams (German and European), and additional certification for the Unified Patent Court. Only about 25% of German candidates pass the European exam on their first try. Investors expect transparency and a plan—especially when IP litigation risk is involved. Hiding potential legal issues is a red flag that can derail multimillion-dollar investments, particularly in later-stage rounds. For high-stakes backers, surprise IP battles are deal-breakers, not details. 1:30 What is a patent and how is it different in Europe vs the US? 3:30 How far in advance should you be thinking about European patents? 8:15 How did you get into patent law? 10:00 What kind of education is necessary for this? 14:30 What was your role in the Sapiens DBS IP portfolio? 17:15 Sponsorship by 17:45 What are common issues especially in Merger and Acquisition deals? 27:15 What is one of the biggest mistakes you see neurotech companies do? 30:00 How do you recognize good legal counsel? 32:30 How do your Japanese roots fit into everything? 36:00 Are you knowledgable about the Asian side of medtech? 38:00 Is there anything that we didn't talk about that you wanted to mention? /episode/index/show/neuralimplant/id/37143885

Inside AIMD: Building the Future of Implantable Devices with Nicolas Barabino & Antoni Ivarra 07/07/2025

Inside AIMD: Building the Future of Implantable Devices with Nicolas Barabino & Antoni Ivarra In this special episode recorded after the workshop in Barcelona, I talk with and , two of the key organizers behind the . We dive into the vision behind this growing event, which brings together top researchers, engineers, clinicians, and entrepreneurs to explore the cutting edge of implantable medical devices. Nicolas and Antoni share insights on the evolution of AIMD technologies, the role of multidisciplinary collaboration, and how this annual workshop is shaping the next generation of innovators. We also touch on the challenges that startups face in the space—regulatory hurdles, IP strategy, and the importance of academic-industry partnerships. Whether you're a student curious about the field or a seasoned expert navigating the complexities of medical implants, this conversation is packed with valuable takeaways from the heart of Europe’s neurotech and medtech community. This episode is sponsored by Black Swan IP – patent strategy and legal support for neurotech innovators. Learn more at Top 3 Takeaways: This year’s AIMD workshop struck a successful balance between clinical research and industry—50/50 over two days. Feedback from both local and international attendees praised the diverse topics, especially the sessions on soft electrodes and innovative implantable technologies. The AIMD Workshop stood out for its diverse programming—not just cutting-edge technology talks like those on soft electrodes, but also valuable discussions on market strategy, startup resources, and IP, including insights from a patent lawyer on what investors really look for. This blend of technical and business perspectives resonated strongly with attendees. At events like AIMD, aim for just one meaningful 10–15 minute conversation per day—enough to be memorable and lay the groundwork for a follow-up. Quality over quantity builds lasting connections. 1:00 Antoni, do you want to talk about why you were hosting the workshop and what you liked about it? 2:15 Nicolas, do you want to introduce yourself again? 4:30 It was aimed at students, what percentage were students? 5:15 What kind of talks were there? 8:15 Can we define Active Impalntable Medical Device and why was it focused on neurotech? 11:00 Sponsorship by 11:30 What will next year's meeting look like? 12:45 Which of the topics have some of the biggest future in the field? 17:45 What kind of advice do you have for students who can attend these kinds of conferences? 21:00 Anything that we didn't talk about that you wanted to mention? /episode/index/show/neuralimplant/id/37143535

Chad Andresen on Lunosa’s Injectable Neurostimulator and Lessons from Stimwave 06/30/2025

Chad Andresen on Lunosa’s Injectable Neurostimulator and Lessons from Stimwave In this episode, we sit down with , Chief Business Officer of , to explore a groundbreaking approach to treating obstructive sleep apnea. Lunosa is developing a self-expanding, injectable neurostimulator that aims to replace invasive facial surgeries with a minimally invasive, high-impact solution — tapping into a $10 billion market. Chad also reflects on his time at , a pioneering neuromodulation company that saw both innovation and controversy. He shares insights from testifying against Stimwave’s former CEO, lessons learned from the company’s collapse, and how those experiences shape Lunosa’s vision and execution today. This episode is sponsored by Black Swan IP – patent strategy and legal support for neurotech innovators. Learn more at Top 3 Takeaways: User feedback can vary drastically by region — while patients in Mexico and Europe reported positive results, U.S. participants were far more critical and vocal, revealing major usability issues that had been previously overlooked. A major red flag in a startup is when experienced, well-tempered professionals leave quickly and repeatedly — it often signals deeper cultural or leadership issues that young founders may overlook until it's too late. Lunosa developed a novel “nerve net” implant that works like a fishing net—capturing multiple nerve branches responsible for tongue movement in sleep apnea—offering selective stimulation to activate helpful muscles while avoiding unwanted ones. 1:30 Do you want to introduce yourself better than I just did? 3:00 How did your career start? 5:15 How did the founding of StimWave look like? 7:15 How did that ramp up look like? 12:15 How did things go wrong? 17:15 What exactly was the issue that caused all the problems? 20:15 Sponsorship by 20:45 How did you find out that things had gone wrong? 26:15 What are some lessons learned from this process? 31:30 Do you want to talk about the misalignment of incentives often coming from VC funding? 35:30 Let's talk about LunOsa 44:00 What are some other exciting things coming from LunOsa? 47:00 Anything else that you wanted to mention? /episode/index/show/neuralimplant/id/37143380

Frederik Ceyssens and the ReVision Implant Team: Building a Visual Cortical Prosthesis to Restore Sight 06/16/2025

Frederik Ceyssens and the ReVision Implant Team: Building a Visual Cortical Prosthesis to Restore Sight In this special on-location episode recorded in Leuven, Belgium, we sit down with the co-founders and technical leaders of — (CEO), (CTO), and (CSO). The team shares their journey developing a high-density, intracortical visual prosthesis aimed at restoring vision for the blind. From developing reliable insertion technology to achieving long-term biocompatibility in nonhuman primate models, ReVision Implant is at the forefront of neurotech innovation. Tune in to hear about their challenges, breakthroughs, and what’s next in the race to cure blindness through brain stimulation. This episode is sponsored by Black Swan IP – patent strategy and legal support for neurotech innovators. Learn more at Top 3 Takeaways: Future users of ReVision's visual prosthesis express diverse goals—from navigating unfamiliar cities independently to recognizing familiar faces—highlighting the need for customizable solutions with both wide fields of view and high resolution. The team is exploring adaptive algorithms that could allow users to toggle between broad, low-resolution views and focused, high-resolution modes—such as reading letters or recognizing faces—offering personalized visual strategies even if only a few thousand stimulation points are achievable. Restoring vision is one of the most challenging neurotech applications—far beyond simply upgrading existing DBS systems—but taking that bold leap sets ReVision Implant apart in a space where few dare to innovate at this scale. 1:00 Do you want to introduce yourselves and your company? 6:30 What is the device and how is it different than other companies? 11:15 How many pixels or phosphenes are you expecting to get? 16:00 How much processing will be required to handle that many channels? 17:00 What is the form factor of the device? 18:15 How long is the battery expected to last? 23:30 What kind of acceleration would you expect from investment? 26:00 How does your fabrication process look? 31:30 Sponsorship by 32:15 Are you also looking at vision augmentation? 35:00 There's a large graveyard in this visual neuroprosthetics space, why do you think you will survive where others have died? 40:30 Did some of the other companies have technical issues that caused them to die? 45:30 Is there anything that we didn't talk about that you wanted to mention? /episode/index/show/neuralimplant/id/36905795

Julio Martinez-Clark: Accelerating Clinical Trials Through Latin America with Bioaccess 05/26/2025

Julio Martinez-Clark: Accelerating Clinical Trials Through Latin America with Bioaccess In this episode, we speak with , CEO and co-founder of , a contract research organization helping Medtech and Biopharma startups slash months off their clinical timelines. With a focus on Latin America, Bioaccess enables early feasibility and first-in-human trials to be conducted faster, more affordably, and with high-quality data suitable for FDA and EU submissions. Julio shares how their global site network—built over 20 years—helps startups navigate regulatory hurdles, reduce costs, and de-risk innovation, all while improving patient lives in emerging markets. This episode is sponsored by Top 3 Takeaways: “The sites and IRBs in Latin America follow international ICH-GCP guidelines—Good Clinical Practice standards set by the World Health Organization. If you're a professional in clinical research, these are the standards you adhere to. As a sponsor, it's your responsibility to ensure that the sites you select, after rounds of interviews and vetting, comply with ICH-GCP. There's also a new development in the region: the Global Clinical Site Certification, an organization based in London that accredits clinical research sites internationally. They're expanding across the Americas, and countries like Colombia and Panama have been especially receptive. For example, we’re currently working on certifying CVAC, a site network in Panama.” For FDA market clearance, sponsors typically need a large, U.S.-based pivotal study. But the FDA may accept up to 30% of that data from international sites—if it follows ICH-GCP standards. First-in-human trials in places like Colombia or Panama can help demonstrate safety and efficacy, supporting an FDA IDE application for a pivotal U.S. study. Many FDA-approved therapies never reach Latin America, simply because manufacturers focus on larger markets like the U.S., Europe, or Japan. Clinical trials provide patients in Latin America with early access to innovative treatments they might otherwise never receive. 0:45 Do you want to introduce yourself better than I just did? 1:30 Why is Latin America better for clinical trials 4:15 How does the speed and cost compare to the US? 6:30 What standard of cleanliness, ethics, and quality can we expect in a country like Panama? 8:45 What kind of capabilities are in these countries? 10:15 Axsoft and Paul LeFloch, , utilized your services, can you talk more about their study? 14:15 What was the timeline of that study selection all the way to the end of the study? 15:30 What kind of Institutional Review Boards look over the ethics? Are they internationally recognized? 16:15 Sponsorship by 20:15 Could you also use this for FDA approval? 22:45 Do you want to talk about the willingness of the patients in Latin America to take part in these trials? 29:45 When should medical device developers reach out to you? 33:30 Is there anything else that we didn't talk about that you wanted to mention? /episode/index/show/neuralimplant/id/36651960

Nathan Piland of Nunex: From Medtech Concept to Commercialization 04/14/2025

Nathan Piland of Nunex: From Medtech Concept to Commercialization In this episode of the Neural Implant Podcast, we’re joined by , CEO of , a consulting firm that specializes in helping MedTech companies navigate the complex journey from concept to commercialization. With over two decades of experience across regulatory strategy, product development, and market access, Nathan shares invaluable insights into the critical steps for MedTech startups and established companies looking to succeed in today’s competitive landscape. Tune in as we discuss the unique challenges of the neurotech industry, strategic consulting for MedTech ventures, and how Nunex is helping companies grow and scale through a holistic, tailored approach. Top 3 Takeaways: "Some people are saying that the brain is becoming the new heart, referring to the decades-long focus on cardiovascular research and devices, from mitral valve replacements to aortic repairs. However, advancements in heart treatments are becoming incremental, while the brain remains a vast unknown. In fact, we may know less about neuroscience than we do about the heart. This is exciting, though, as it means we have fewer biases about how to solve problems in the brain. There’s a lot of activity in areas like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, with ongoing efforts to improve patients’ lives." "The reason we formed the company was to partner with founders and leaders in the MedTech industry. Like many listeners of this podcast, I’ve been on the other side, constantly receiving sales pitches. We believe we can add the most value by highlighting key insights and trends within the industry." "If I were the CEO of a startup, I would consider doing most of the work in another geography for a fraction of the cost, while still obtaining high-quality data. Then, I would come to the US for a follow-up study. Even if you needed to do a 50-patient study to confirm results with a US-based population to satisfy the FDA, it would be much cheaper, faster, and more cost-effective than conducting a large-scale trial here in the US with all the associated costs and challenges." 0:45 Do you want to introduce yourself better than I just did? 1:30 How did you get into medtech consulting? 5:15 Why did you decide to work with startups? 7:15 What are the 7 dimensions and what are the order of these? 12:45 What does a typical workflow look like with a company? 19:30 Is neurotech different or unique compared to other types of medtech? 23:45 Do you want to talk about your newsletter and conference also? 30:00 And you'll have another conference this year too? 32:00 Malaysia sounds great but are there any drawbacks to working there? 36:45 With the new administration what is your prognosis on funding and medtech development? 41:15 Anything that we didn't talk about that you wanted to mention? /episode/index/show/neuralimplant/id/35899700

Eugene Daneshvar: Navigating Neurotech IP with Fairer Pricing and Entrepreneurial Spirit 04/07/2025

Eugene Daneshvar: Navigating Neurotech IP with Fairer Pricing and Entrepreneurial Spirit In this episode of the Neural Implant Podcast, we welcome Dr. Eugene Daneshvar, founder of Black Swan Intellectual Property (BSIP), a boutique law firm specializing in intellectual property for neurotech and medtech innovations. With a background in biomedical engineering and law, Eugene has a unique perspective on protecting the cutting-edge ideas that drive the future of healthcare technology. After years of working at a larger firm, Eugene founded BSIP to provide more accessible, fair, and transparent pricing for IP services, moving away from the traditional hourly billing model. In addition to his work in intellectual property, Eugene also offers strategic counsel for fundraising and business development, helping startups navigate the complexities of commercialization in the medtech and neurotech space. Top 3 Takeaways: "It’s difficult to change large organizations. I had tried to build a neurotech-focused practice, but my previous firm wasn’t on board. The firm was primarily focused on pharma, with much deeper pockets than neurotech, and they controlled my hourly rate, which reached $1200 an hour. It was too steep for my clients in medical devices, so I decided to create a firm that would be more accessible and help those startups – I became an entrepreneur myself." "The most exciting part is that I switched to flat-fee billing, so no more billable hours. Everyone dislikes billable hours, and this approach creates a win-win situation for both myself and my clients. It provides predictability in costs, and it saves me time since I no longer have to track every minute of my work." "I offer deferrals based on what clients need—whether it's 30 or 90 days, or until they secure funding. Sometimes, I even take shares instead of cash, depending on the opportunity. As an angel investor with Life Science Angels, I help life science startups raise capital, typically between $200,000 and $1 million, by ensuring they are prepared for investment. 0:30 Do you want to introduce yourself better than I just did? 3:15 What are you specializing in? 4:15 Why do you think you're competent in this field? 9:30 What is a typical price for your services? 12:45 What are some other services that a neurotech company might need? 16:30 How does being a small law firm affect reputation? 22:45 What is missing most? Or what is something that you wish people would know? 27:45 Is using AI an issue more for generating the patent claim or writing the claim? 31:00 So you feel confident that your job is safe from AI? /episode/index/show/neuralimplant/id/35878410

Maurits Ortmanns: Advancements in ASIC Design for Neurotech Implants 04/07/2025

Maurits Ortmanns: Advancements in ASIC Design for Neurotech Implants In this episode, we welcome , a leading expert in ASIC design and professor at the , Germany. With a distinguished career in microelectronics, Dr. Ortmanns has contributed extensively to the development of integrated circuits for biomedical applications. He shares insights into the critical role of ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) design in advancing neurotech implants, focusing on low-power, high-speed circuits that are essential for optimizing the performance and reliability of these devices. Dr. Ortmanns also discusses the challenges and future of circuit integration in neurotechnology. Top 3 Takeaways: "Each ASIC is very low in cost because the development cost is spread across millions of units. The actual production cost is minimal; the primary expense lies in the development time until the first chips are produced and ready for manufacturing." "For an inexperienced engineer, it typically takes about six months to a year to design the blueprint for the chip. Then, depending on the manufacturer, it takes an additional four to six months for the actual fabrication of the ASIC. Finally, you would need another one to two months for testing, so the total turnaround time for a small chip is approximately one and a half years." "Let's take the example of a neuromodulator. You need recordings or data from neurons and stimulation data going to the neurons, so you essentially have these two components. Then, you encounter challenges like stimulation artifacts. One person might focus on eliminating the stimulation artifact in the recording channel. That requires additional algorithms or hardware, and the data needs to be digitized, which is another task. You may also have someone working on a compression algorithm and building digital circuitry to compress the raw input data. Then, there’s the data interface, power management, and wireless energy delivery. Each person works on their specific innovation, and if everything is well-planned and lucky, all these pieces can come together to create a complete system. However, sometimes you simply don’t have a breakthrough idea for power management or communication." 0:45 Do you want to introduce yourself better than I just did? 3:15 What is integrated circuit design? 7:30 What are ASIC's? How are they used in neurotech? 10:15 How does the million dollar fab cost get split into each chip? 11:30 What are typical functions of ASICs? 14:30 Why does the development time take so long? 18:15 So most of the libraries you use are your own and you don't use external ones? 19:45 To what extent is this modular? 22:15 What is the timeline of each of the sections of development? 27:45 How does it work managing IP from your company and your University? 30:45 Are there any Open Source initiatives in Europe for ASICs? 33:00 How many people in the world do this kind of work? 35:45 What is a good pathway for those looking to get into this kind of work? 38:45 How early should companies start talking about designs? 40:15 If you 10x the money could you make it go faster? 41:30 If people want to reach out how do they do so? 42:15 Anything else that you wanted to mention? /episode/index/show/neuralimplant/id/35898550

Expanding Horizons in Neuroprosthetics: A Conversation with Andreas Forsland 01/27/2025

Expanding Horizons in Neuroprosthetics: A Conversation with Andreas Forsland In this episode of the Neural Implant Podcast, host Ladan Jiracek engages in an insightful dialogue with , founder and CEO of . The discussion covers Cognixion's pioneering augmented reality headset with EEG sensing, designed to enhance communication for individuals with speech and motor challenges. Andreas describes the journey from creating a speech augmentation device to developing a versatile platform, the Axon-R, which is now being utilized by health systems and researchers for various clinical applications. They explore the platform's form factor, capabilities, and its role in empowering others to create specialized applications. Top 3 Takeaways: "We aimed to make it easy for both non-technical and technical users to build simple research applications as well as complex, immersive commercial applications. Initially, it was an internal product we developed for rapid prototyping and exploring neurophysiology. But we realized many others wanted the same capabilities to build their own apps." "Go ahead and integrate with Apple Vision Pro or a Meta Quest device, but be aware that you're going to face a lot of problems. The clinical trial process is expensive and time-consuming, and what we've found is that some people who’ve tried this route end up with only 10 to 15 percent usable data. Wasting 80 to 85 percent of your data because of poor technology or failure to meet IRB standards for medical safety and efficacy is a huge waste. If you're pursuing anything in healthcare, you need to build on a reliable platform like Cognixion." "You could invest in 10 software-as-a-medical-device (SMD) applications, which are subscription-based or software-based apps that deliver clinically valid outcomes. Building and validating such an application might cost anywhere from $3 to $10 million to bring it to commercialization. In contrast, building a traditional medical device could cost anywhere from $25 to $200 million, usually for just one indication. The key cost savings here is that you don’t need to invest in bespoke hardware—we've already invested over $25 million in developing the validated hardware and platform." 00:45 "Do you want to explain your product and introduce yourself better than I just did?" 04:45 "So the platform, what does it look like? What's the form factor? 10:00 "Where would where would they likely use it?" 14:45 "How does it compare to implantable technologies like Synchron or Neuralink? Obviously, with a wearable-only technology, the fidelity must be lower, correct?" 25:15 "What kind of savings does this represent? How much does it help others who want to develop this type of technology? 28:45 "So how would you prevent other companies from doing something like this?" 33:45 "What role does AI play in your guys company?" 39:00 "Is there anything that we didn't talk about that you wanted to mention?" /episode/index/show/neuralimplant/id/34902555

Exploring the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis with David McMillan 10/14/2024

Exploring Contract Engineering in Neurotechnology with Javier Schandy and Nicolas Barabino 10/07/2024

Stephen Ho: Exploring Neurotech in Cinema with the Neurratives Podcast 05/07/2024

Eugene Daneshvar: Navigating Neurotech and Patents 04/29/2024

Eugene Daneshvar: Navigating Neurotech and Patents is a University of Michigan PhD graduate working on thin film neural implants but has since transitioned into the legal side of things having passed his bar exam and working with . This interview took almost 2 years to get done but we're glad we were able to do it! Top 3 Takeaways: "I think the main thing I'll say is you don't undermine your valuation by not having an informed and intentional patent strategy, and you don't have to go cheap. You know, I feel that you have to bootstrap, but if you work with certain law firms that are very entrepreneurial friendly, and my firm is not the only one, but I think that is a general statement, which is, you know, work with somebody who understands your business model. But then, secondly, work with somebody who understands your technology as well." "I want my clients to understand that I'm building something valuable for them. Let's ensure all that value is captured in the application. If not, it risks not just their business, but also their motivations for it. They aim to translate this information and idea to help a certain subset of the patient population." "Some people cut corners without considering the broader strategy implications. I suggest working with individuals who are willing to learn about the process. We're all part of the same community, and if you're listening to this podcast, you're part of mine. I want the best for you, so don't hesitate to reach out." 0:45 Can you introduce yourself better than I just did? 5:15 Was it your idea from the beginning to do both a PhD and law school? 7:15 Why are patents important in the neurotech field? 11:30 What are some big mistakes you’ve seen in the neurotech entrepreneur field? 17:30 Is it better to have a strong lawyer or one that knows your field? 21:00 What is the process for a student wanting to spinoff a technology? 28:00 Have you seen deals go badly because of legal issues? 32:45 Is there anything that we didn’t cover that you wanted to mention? /episode/index/show/neuralimplant/id/30591078

Paul Le Floch: Pioneering Neural Implant Materials with Axoft 04/23/2024

Paul Le Floch: Pioneering Neural Implant Materials with Axoft "Welcome to today's episode! Our guest, , co-founder and CEO of , brings innovation to neural implants. With roots in France and a Harvard PhD, he's leading groundbreaking work. Welcome, Paul!" Top 3 Takeaways: "It's a good time to ask the question: What if we could develop solutions tailored for this problem instead of borrowing from the semiconductor industry? That's what Axsoft is about. We emphasize developing soft materials that offer better long-term biocompatibility. Additionally, these materials are suitable for micro and nano fabrication and remain stable inside the brain." "The advantage is that when we identify something that doesn't work well, we can modify it because we designed the materials. The key is that we've developed an innovation that functions effectively, but we also acknowledge that it's not the final version of the system. The difference is that we can revisit it at the polymer chemistry level and alter the material's composition, structure, or introduce additives to enhance stability or mechanical properties." "At early stage, there is iteration. There is improvement over time. And at some point you need to take this leap of faith that your technology actually has a good edge, that you have enough, you will have enough resources to make it competitive. And I think we were confident enough about that and about our approach." 0:30 Can you introduce yourself better than I just did? 1:00 Is Axoft a spinoff? 5:00 How do you know your material is better? 9:00 Why did you go the startup route vs the academia route with this technology? 12:30 How do you let investors know that this is a long term startup? 14:00 Why did you choose the dilutive vs nondilutive route? 15:30 What indication is the material best for? 17:00 Where are you guys in terms of the lifecycle? 19:45 How big is the team and what are current challenges? 22:30 Where do you see neurotech in 10 years? 23:45 Anything that we didn’t talk about that you wanted to mention? /episode/index/show/neuralimplant/id/30591058

Christine Schmidt: Pioneering Regenerative Neural Tissue Engineering 04/15/2024

Bioel 2024 Conference panel with Drs Jon Viventi, Tracy Cui, Ellis Meng, and Ivan Minev 04/08/2024

Bioel 2024 Conference panel with Drs Jon Viventi, Tracy Cui, Ellis Meng, and Ivan Minev Welcome to the Neural Implant Podcast! In this episode, the podcast team presents a live panel recording from the Bio L Conference at the International Winter School on Bioelectronics in Austria in March 2024. Hosted by Ladan, the panel discusses various types of neural implants with esteemed guests: Drs . (LCP neural implants), (PEDOT electrode coatings), (parylene neural implants), and (PDMS neural implants). Tune in as they explore the fascinating world of soft implantable electrodes and brain-nervous system interfaces. Top 3 Takeaways: “In the next five or 10 years, I anticipate that advancements in human neural implants will resemble those we've observed previously. I don't foresee any radical changes in materials or physical attributes. The neurosurgeons I collaborate with prefer implants that aren't excessively flexible or thin to avoid tearing during surgery.” “The first time we delivered an implant to a clinician, these devices were carefully handled by my students. No one dared touch them; they were like sacred objects entrusted to the grad students. When the surgeons got hold of them, they were shocked – bending them in ways we never imagined. Handling these inconsistencies is a crucial aspect to consider, bridging the gap between expectation and reality.” "Everything new is something old that is well forgotten" 3:15 Do all of you want to introduce yourselves? 10:30 What’s a good way for trainees to stay on top of everything there is to learn? 13:45 What is the ideal neural implant and what is the 5-10 year plan for developing these? 20:00 Each of you has a different favorite material for neural implants, do you want to talk about that? 29:45 What motivates you in this field? 35:30 How do you take clinical translation into account in your research? 40:15 What challenges or embarrassing moments have you had in your career? ***Audience Questions*** 43:30 What is your experience and challenges in patenting your electrodes and research? 46:00 What’s the point in doing research if other companies are able to raise significantly more money than we can? 49:00 How do you address the scalability of manufacturing electrodes? 51:15 How groundbreaking do your ideas need to be to be successful? 54:30 How do you deal with paper submission processes that have gone badly? 58:00 How do you deal with a double blind review? 59:00 What’s the most difficult aspect of supervising graduate students? 1:02:00 When can we expect neural implants that interface with all of the neurons in our brain? 1:06:15 How do you deal with materials that aren’t certified for clinical translation? 1:07:45 If you had a magic wand / unlimited funding, what would you do? /episode/index/show/neuralimplant/id/30614483

Carles Garcia-Vitoria: Pioneering Pain Relief with Intrathecal Spinal Cord Stimulation with Spinally 04/02/2024

Carles Garcia-Vitoria: Pioneering Pain Relief with Intrathecal Spinal Cord Stimulation with Spinally In today's episode, we're joined by , a seasoned pain physician with a unique approach to his work. With extensive experience in regional anesthesia and pain management, Carles shares insights gained from his years of practical experience as he pursues his PhD in Spain. Top 3 Takeaways: "We believe we have the opportunity to target the site of action more effectively. That's why we've founded Spinally, the startup we're currently leading. Our goal is to pioneer intrathecal spinal cord stimulation." "The Dura Mater is highly elastic, closing approximately 80-90% within the first 30 seconds after trauma. Additionally, with improved intrathecal access and emission capabilities, we can utilize thinner implants—reducing implant thickness from 1.3 to 0.5 millimeters. This minimizes trauma to the meningeal sac even further." "We can leverage new fabrication capabilities to minimize implants and achieve highly effective pain relief. Our models, along with others, indicate that we can stimulate deeper layers of the spinal cord with intrathecal electrode positioning, enhancing our ability to listen to deeper neuronal tracts. This advancement is poised to make significant waves in the pain management field within a year." 0:45 Can you introduce yourself better than I just did? 1:15 What advantages of neurotechnology do you see in the pain market? 3:15 What does the pain treatment process using neuromodulation look like? 6:45 How is closed loop stimulation changing your work? 8:30 You’re involved in a startup to better listen to the spinal cord, can you talk about that? 11:30 Why hasn’t this been done before? 14:00 Where in the startup process are you? 15:30 Where are you getting the leads from? 16:30 You guys are raising money, can you talk about that? 18:30 Crowdfunding for medical devices is new, have you seen these before? 21:00 Is there anything that we didn’t cover that you wanted to mention? /episode/index/show/neuralimplant/id/30590998

Steve Goetz: Revolutionizing Mental Health Treatment as CTO of Motif Neurotech 11/21/2023

Steve Goetz: Revolutionizing Mental Health Treatment as CTO of Motif Neurotech is now the Chief Technology Officer at which is developing a minimally invasive neural implant for the treatment of depression and mental health issues. Steve was at Medtronic for 26 years before moving over to the startup landscape. Top 3 Takeaways: "Starting a big program that you don't know how to finish is a very expensive endeavor, and so you want to really shake out all the science risk, all the technology risk, be pretty sure you can execute a thing before you turn on that big engine because it's expensive once you go" "We know stimulation of the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex is very efficacious in treatment-resistant depression. Our question is, can we develop a cranial stimulator that can do that in the comfort of a patient's home on demand and with a dosing profile that is matched to that patient's acuity and severity that both treats depression and at some point in the future turns into a maintenance therapy that prevents relapse altogether. And what that looks like to us is a pea-sized stimulator that fits in a minimally invasive burr hole that sits on top of the dura, so not brain penetrating, that delivers this therapy powered externally from a wearable, like a hat or a headband." "For deep brain stimulation, there's a subspecialty of neurosurgery called functional stereotactic neurosurgery with on the order of hundreds of surgeons in the US. There are more that have the specialization to make a burr hole. You go from a few 100 to several 1000 people in the US who can do a burr hole. Over 200,000 burr holes are made in a given year in the US" 1:00 Do you want to introduce yourself better than I just did? 3:00 What was that smaller group within Medtronic? 8:30 What does the organizational structure look like at a place like Medtronic? 11:30 What do those teams look like? 16:00 Is each team working on a project? 18:15 18:45 What is Motif all about? 24:15 What is the success rate of TMS and what do you hope to achieve? 25:15 This isn't brain surgery but it is close to it, what's involved in this? 29:15 Could this surgery be done by a lower-skilled person than a neurosurgeon? 31:00 How does insurance reimbursement look like for Motif? 36:15 Why is this technology possible now? 41:30 Your technology seems bikini-ready 42:45 What is the progress of your company? 45:00 What's the small company vs large company life like? 47:30 How long do big decisions take in a big company? 48:45 How is the pace in a small vs small company? 51:00 What is the perfect recipe for working in a meaningful company vs learning in another company? 53:45 Anything else you wanted to mention? /episode/index/show/neuralimplant/id/28714618

Eric Glowacki on cutting edge neural implant fabrication 10/16/2023

Eric Glowacki on cutting edge neural implant fabrication is a research group leader at the Central European Institute of Technology () located in Brno, Czech Republic. There he studies neural implant fabrication and materials specializing in silicon, parylene, and polyimide devices. He has also started to designs and fabricate devices on a contract basis for other research groups and companies. And, his institute is the one that has been recently sponsoring the podcast! This podcast is sponsored by CEITEC Nano, check out their Neurotech Device Manufacturing Capabilities Top 3 Takeaways: "You can just buy stuff on the internet very simple red LED arrays. So you don't have to bother with aiming because you just put this this light source roughly over the area of interest and, and you can hit the target without having to try very hard." "Most of the time we're pretty fast. If someone sends us a design we can print photo masks in a day or two. That's the slowest step." "And it turns out that the beat frequency can actually stimulate neurons. So you can use these high frequency carrier waves to get in. And then use this constructive interference to actually stimulate to stimulate excitable tissue." 1:15 "Mr. Sponsor, do you want to, do you want to talk about you yourself? What your institute does?" 3:00 "Photovoltaic, transcutaneous neurostimulation. What are the details of that? " 5:15 "How does this compare to other wireless ultrasonics, magnetics, anything else?" 8:15 "What kind of light density would you need?" 9:15 What was your career arc? 12:00 Do you want to talk about Polyimide, Paryle and these other materials? 16:15 17:00 "Talk about your services a little bit" 19:15 What does the contracting process look like if someone wants you to make them devices? 21:45 "Can you talk about the price differences?" 23:30 "Have you thought about opening it up to neurotech companies?" 25:30 Do you want to talk about your success despite you having moved around to many institutes? 28:00 "What do you see as the future of neurotech?" 32:15 "Is there anything that we didn't talk about that you wanted to mention?" /episode/index/show/neuralimplant/id/28323782

Gene Fridman on his freeform stimulator allowing for more neural stimulation possibilities 10/09/2023

Gene Fridman on his freeform stimulator allowing for more neural stimulation possibilities is an Associate Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery and also has appointments with the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. His research is in the areas of bioinstrumentation and neural engineering. In this episode we talk about his freeform nerual stimulator which allows for DC and any other waveforms without any electrolytic effects on the electrodes. This opens up many possibilities for neural stimulation. We also talk about his startup Aidar which is like a 'tricorder' all-in-one medical diagnostic tool. This podcast is sponsored by CEITEC Nano, check out their Neurotech Device Manufacturing Capabilities Top 3 Takeaways: "The reason why they have to use pulses at the metal electrodes is that if you deliver electrical current for too long to a metal electrode that is implanted in the body, what you're going to get is you're going to get electrochemistry, the first thing that will happen is you're going to start forming bubbles because you're going to split water. It's electrolysis. So you clearly don't want to do that in the body. They have to use pulses charge balanced by phasic pulses otherwise, you're going to have these electrons jump across and cause chemical reactions" "By introducing hyperpolarizing current to the peripheral nerve what we're seeing is it's affecting the small caliber neurons much more so, which carry pain much more so than the larger neurons that carry other information. And so we're able to block pain at the peripheral nerve. We didn't know about this. It was a surprise to us." 0:45 "Do you want to introduce yourself better than I just did?" 3:00 Do you want to talk about your device able to talk to both ions and electrons in neurotech? 7:00 Was a DC bridge rectifier the inspiration for this? 9:15 What is possible with these new waveforms? 15:15 "How big is it? And why does it need to be that size?" 21:45 22:15 Do you want to talk about your startup company, ? 24:30 Are you doing any nerve stuff with the 'tricorder?' 26:30 How are you able to manage the time with the startup? 27:45 How did you get the project's initial data? /episode/index/show/neuralimplant/id/28259468

Kurt Haggestrom on Synchron's Stentrode and Synch Switch 10/02/2023

Kurt Haggestrom on Synchron's Stentrode and Synch Switch comes on to talk about the latest new from , which has developed the Stentrode as well as the new Synchron Switch. Kurt talks about his new role as Chief Commercial Officer and where the company is heading. ***This podcast is sponsored by CEITEC Nano, check out their Neurotech Device Manufacturing Capabilities *** Top three takeaways: 1. "The beauty of this approach is that the blood vessels are an amazing place. To be able to put implants and we've, we're leveraging really decades of science and medical devices in say, the coronary space and the heart space. We know that these types of materials heal very well within the vasculature. It's a very novel approach and really scalable because there's a lot of physicians that can do this type of procedure." 2. "Syncron is developing we're calling it the Synch Switch. So it is an endovascular brain-computer interface system. This system will allow patients who are suffering from paralysis to connect into the digital world, whether it's banking, communication by using a smartphone or computer. 3. "A key part of, I think these types of novel technologies is to think about "how do people afford this when it does get to market?" And with the patients that we're focused on today, many of them use Medicare to be able to afford these technologies. It's critical that we think about our partnership and in working with CMOs to make reimbursement possible for these type of technologies. [1:15] "Do you want to give a refresher on what Synchron does?" [3:00] "What are some exciting news that comes out of Synchron?" [4:15] "So what is Chief Commercialization Officer and why is it necessary, especially for a company like Syncron which isn't commercial yet?" [5:45] ad sponsorship [6:15] "What's your story arc?" [8:30] How are you navigating reimbursement? [9:30] What is your timeline for commercialization? [10:45] "What are some security protocols, that you're putting into place?" [12:30] "What are some of your biggest challenges nowadays?" [16:15] How many patients were in your study? [16:30] How large is the target market? [18:15] Does this have other application potentials outside of locked in patients? [19:15] "Is there anything that we didn't talk about that you wanted to mention?" /episode/index/show/neuralimplant/id/28174868

Pawel Soluch on launching the Medtech Coaching program with me 06/13/2023

Mounya Elhilali on her auditory processing selectivity research 05/29/2023

Suraj Mudichintala on investing in bioelectronic medicine companies with Action Potential Venture 03/27/2023

Suraj Mudichintala on investing in bioelectronic medicine companies with Action Potential Venture Suraj Mudichintala is a Senior Associate at Action Potential Capital which is GSK's bioelectronic medicine venture fund. Top 3 Takeaways: "Our fund is different in that we invest actually directly off of GSK's balance sheet. So we're what's called an evergreen fund where we don't actually have a fund size" "The way that I think about it is that a VC is really paid to allocate capital but really is really paid to think. You really have to think about what is the next space or the next technology that could disrupt a space? And because of that, it's a much you often have to take a much more longitudinal view. And it takes a lot of patience and tracking a space oftentimes for years" "When you reach out to a VC having a pitch, first of all, sending a non-confidential pitch deck is mandatory, I think. And that deck is essentially where we're making the first decision as to whether or not to do a call with you" 0:45 Do you want to introduce yourself better than I just did? 1:15 "Do you wanna talk about Action Potential, what it is, who it was formed by, and the investment thesis?" 2:30 Do you want to talk about the expansion of the AP investment thesis? 4:30 What does traditional Venture Capital look like and how is it different in that you are funded by GSK? 6:15 What do the positions within a VC firm look like? 7:45 How has it been for you going from Analyst to Associate? 8:45 What does your due diligence look like? 11:45 "A lot of VCs have a target size range, be it seed or angel or, maybe larger institutional stuff. But it sounds like you guys don't really have that?" 12:45 "How did you get into this space?" 14:45 "So how does consulting compare to the VC life?" 18:45 "What would you suggest is the best way to get your attention?" 24:00 What are some tips and tricks to reaching out to you? 27:00 What was the worst pitch deck you ever saw? 28:30 " Is there anything that we didn't talk about that you wanted to mention?" /episode/index/show/neuralimplant/id/26234421

Balint Varkuti on turning neuromodulation technologies into Brain-Computer-Interfaces using software by CereGate 03/20/2023

Balint Varkuti on turning neuromodulation technologies into Brain-Computer-Interfaces using software by CereGate Balint Varkuti is the CEO of CereGate which unlocks new capabilities for existing neuromodulation technologies using software. Top 3 Takeaways: "the brain is naturally wired for pattern perception for learning, and that's really what we do. We send signals that the brain very quickly can pick up." "You do not need to exclusively be focused mentally, consciously on interpreting these signals. Rather it becomes second nature. Our favourite analogy is saying it is like braille for the brain." "With hardware, you sometimes have simply the disadvantage that you are married to the time point when you started. So if you started a long time ago, you started with that technology and you have a whole regulatory documentation that's building on that. So fundamentally pivoting in hardware down the road almost becomes impossible." 0:45 Do you want to introduce yourself? 3:00 What is special about the software that hasn't already been done? 11:30 The brain is plastic and the software is changing so how does it work with these two systems fighting? 13:30 How can this approach be used to treat Parkinson symptoms such as Freezing of Gait ?" 14:15 Can you read braille? 15:30 "How fast does a patient learn to use this?" 19:00 " How can a company work with you?" 21:15 You guys have been in stealth mode for 4 years, why did it take 4 years and do you have any success stories so far? 23:45 "Do you wanna talk about the regulatory pathway and how it was how to do a software versus a hardware solution?" 27:00 How did your background in behavioral sciences shape your outlook to the company? 30:15 You didn't mention coding in your background, can you talk about starting a software company without much coding experience? 31:30 You have 25 people involved in the company but doesn't seem that you have raised much money, why such a big team? 35:15 "What does the next four years look like? What's on your horizon?" 37:00 "Is there anything that we didn't talk about that you wanted to mention?" /episode/index/show/neuralimplant/id/26234064

Kevin Tracey returns to the podcast to give an update about his work at the Feinstein Institutes, the field of bioelectronic medicine and exciting vagus nerve clinical trials underway 03/13/2023

Kevin Tracey returns to the podcast to give an update about his work at the Feinstein Institutes, the field of bioelectronic medicine and exciting vagus nerve clinical trials underway returns to the podcast to give an update about his work at the and the work at . Top 3 Takeaways: "Two years we discovered that a drug called Famotidine, which is sold as a generic drug Pepcid AC is actually a pharmacological or a drug-based vagus nerve stimulator. And we proved first in mice that famotidine placed directly in very small amounts placed directly in the brains of mice activates the vagus nerve. And this in turn turned off cytokine storm, which of course is a big problem in Covid 19" "A company that I've co-founded, Setpoint Medical, is currently deep into clinical trials in the United States called ResetRA, which is on clinical trials.gov or on the SetPoint website for rheumatoid arthritis patients. And that trial is enrolling many patients up to, I think 250 patients will be studied according to the websites and we're hoping that goes very well. And we're hoping, I'm hoping that leads to FDA approval for vagus nerve stimulation in the US in the coming days or coming in the coming months" "I think we're very close now to vagus nerve stimulation becoming a reality for millions of patients. And I, I hope, and I see a time when patients have the. Of choosing vagus nerve stimulation as a simple, safe therapy instead of dangerous, expensive drugs with black box warnings that are minimally effective." 0;30 "Do you wanna introduce yourself and talk about some of your work, especially as neuromodulation pertains to the immune system?" 2:45 "So the last time when we talked it was 2020. So pandemic, everything was upside down. But then you were telling me before we started recording that it was also especially busy for you at that time. So what were you up to around then?" 6:00 What were the quantitative takeaways of the Famotidine Covid trials? 8:15 "Why didn't it become standard practice?" 11:00 "You're saying the famotidine has this effect on the vagus nerve. Does this mean we no longer need vagus nerve stimulators? Can we just take Pepcid, AC?" 15:00 Do you want to talk about the Bioelectronic Medicine Summit? 17:30 What were some of the highlights of the Summit? 19:30 "You mentioned some interesting results. Is that something you can share now or is that something that we should be on the lookout for?" 21:30 "You were also featured recently in the Wall Street Journal and New York Times, what was that like and what were the articles about?" 23:15 "So what's exciting you now for 2023 and what's on the horizon for you for the next few years?" 27:15 "Is there anything that we didn't talk about that you wanted to mention?" /episode/index/show/neuralimplant/id/26114430

Israel Gasperin on measuring cannabis effects quanitatively with EEG with Zentrela 03/06/2023

Colin Kealey on the non-pharmaceutical adolescent ADHD treatment with NeuroSIgma 02/13/2023

Craig Mermel on working at Google and Apple and now at Precision Neuroscience 12/19/2022

Lothar Krinke on adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation at Newronika 12/10/2022

Lothar Krinke on adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation at Newronika Lothar Krinke is the CEO and Board Member of Newronika which is an adaptive Deep Brain Stimulator company looking to improve patient outcomes in things like Parkinson's and Essential Tremor. ***This podcast is sponsored by Iris Biomedical, check out their Neurotech Startup Services Top 3 Takeaways: "the one thing we do need to address is really the cost. The cost driver of Deep Brain Stimulation isn't the manufacturing of the system. Now, that's not cheap either it's certainly less than $10,000. How expensive is brain surgery, particularly functional brain surgery? How expensive is it to have all the pre-operation preparation? So I think the field needs to think about how we can lower the cost of Deep Brain Stimulation to make it available to not hundreds of thousands of patients, but literally millions of patients." "I don't think AI or even machine learning has been sufficiently applied in our space. People do it and they talk about it, but if you look at other fields, even EEG, use of AI or machine learning are much more penetrated." "In my mind it is almost unconscionable that only 15% of patients that could benefit from Parkinsons, from DBS do. So somehow we need to have a battle cry. We need to have the responsibility to make this therapy available to more people. And the way to do that is less invasive more automation and lower cost" 0:45 Do you want to introduce yourself better than I just did? 2:15 "Why is Deep Brain Simulation so exciting for you?" 3:15 "Can explain what Deep Brain Stimulation is and what it's a treatment for?" 5:30 "How did you get into the field?" 6:30 ad sponsorship 7:15 You thought earlier that DBS was too invasive but now changed your mind, why? 8:15 What are the biggest impediments to DBS? 12:15 Why is the Newronika DBS better than the alternatives? 14:30 Why is adaptive DBS better? 16:30 "What are some of the biggest challenges right now at Newronika?" 20:30 You are in Minneapolis, West Virginia, and Milan, how are you able to travel so much? 21:30 "Why aren't you in Gainesville? I was surprised how big the DBS field is here." 22:15 "For people starting out in the field, do you have any advice?" 25:30 " What's a big mistake or wrong direction that you see researchers or people on your field going down?" 27:45 "Could you explain the beta and gamma waves?" 32:45 "Is there anything that we didn't talk about that you wanted to mention?" /episode/index/show/neuralimplant/id/25285710

Neural Implant podcast - the people behind Brain-Machine Interface revolutions

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