Quality of life and development of medical devices go hand in hand.
Yokneam has had many medical device success stories, from Rewalk's Exoskeleton to Galil Medical's cryotherapy solutions. Unlike a startup to exit life-cycle where the technology is moved overseas for future growth, companies that bought startups in Yokneam have tended to move marketing and sales overseas, while leaving the R&D facilities intact or increasing their size.
Having a well established and stable source of researchers and developers is especially important for complex products like medical devices that have long development and regulatory cycles. The availability of reasonably priced housing and high quality of life for young families makes it easier for companies to retain talented researchers.
Biosense Webster, a Johnson & Johnson company, specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias (abnormal electrical activity in the heart). Biosense Webster (Israel), Ltd. Is the Technology Center for R&D and Manufacturing for systems worldwide.
A global leader in its field, Biosense, Inc. began as a start-up in Haifa, Israel, with Dr. Shlomo Ben-Haim’s development of a 3-D cardiac mapping and navigation technology that provided new levels of insight, precision, and safety in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. At the same time, Webster Laboratories was founded by pioneer inventor Will Webster, whose advanced catheter designs were based on the practical needs and demands of physicians. In 1998, Biosense joined Webster Laboratories to form Biosense Webster.
2012 marked the fifteenth anniversary of the acquisition of Biosense Webster by Johnson & Johnson. Biosense Webster continues to be one of the fastest growing businesses in Johnson & Johnson and, in fact, has grown more than 20-fold since the acquisition. As the world’s leading cardiac electrophysiology company, Biosense Webster currently has more than 2000 employees worldwide, with above $1 billion in annual sales.
The CARTO® 3 System has given electrophysiologists access to 3-D, real-time, color-coded views into the heart’s electrical activity, allowing diagnosis and treat-ment with increasing precision. The ThermoCool® SmartTouch™ Contact Force Sensing Catheter provides electrophysiologists with the ability to sense the amount and force of contact. ThermoCool® SF Catheter with Surround Flow Technology provides uniform cooling during ablation procedures. Biosense Webster has also developed an image integration solution for electrophysiology labs around the world. This solution integrates real-time x-ray images, from Siemens Healthcare, GE Healthcare and Philips Healthcare X-Ray systems, into the CARTO® 3 System.
The Butterfly Medical device is a new generation implantable device for the treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) that offers a superior alternative to existing BPH minimally invasive treatments. BPH is the non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate, affecting 50% of men above 60 and more than 70% of men above 70. BPH symptoms have a significant effect on the quality of life.
Unlike current treatments that are surgical in nature and therefore require certain level of recovery and carry a risk of complications, the Butterfly Medical device is non-surgical, can be delivered at the comfort of the physician’s office and offers immediate relief. Approximately 30 million men around the world experience some level of BPH symptoms and about 25% of those men will actively seek treatment
ElastiMed has developed a wearable medical device, that is designed to improve circulation in the legs, for the treatment of venous and lymphatic diseases.
Based on proprietary technology, that utilizes innovative smart materials, ElastiMed’s sock compresses and massages the legs when stimulated by an electric pulse.
The smart sock is expected to provide patients with a comfortable, easy-to-wear, effective and affordable treatment option to help prevent symptoms such as swelling, blood clots, and leg ulcers.
hronic leg swelling (edema), which is caused by poor circulation, affects more than 7.4 million people in the United States alone. Edema may result from old age, cancer treatments, poor diet, or pregnancy. Blood clots, which are formed in the legs (DVT, deep vein thrombosis), affect over 790,000 people in the United States and EU. Applying constant or changing external pressure on the legs has been proven to be a highly effective treatment to improve circulation and reduce swelling. With a more than 60% non-compliance rate for existing treatment options, ElastiMed’s device is aimed at improving patient compliance with a comfortable, highly effective clinical treatment.
The next generation embolic protection device (EPD) for reducing the risk of stroke and other complications during catheter-based left-heart procedures.
Electrotherapy Devices for Treating Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
Developing a noninvasive device that is applied by the patient onto the abdomen skin at specific positions, the device electrically stimulates the abdomen muscles by a pair of electrodes with specific current wave forms, the electrical pulses generates abdomen muscles asymmetrical contractions. Those contractions generates forward and “fast back” displacement of the esophagus (via the stomach) causing the remaining materials creeping back to the stomach.
Innovation in Motion
A portfolio of life-changing solutions
Lifeward is the leading source of innovations that support healthcare professionals in delivering life-changing results for people with physical limitation or disability and helping individuals to achieve results they never thought possible.
Our portfolio of proven solutions spans the continuum of care, delivering functional and health benefits in clinical settings as well as in the home and community. Lifeward supports clinicians and patients every step of the way to revolutionize what is possible in rehabilitation, recovery, and the pursuit of life’s passions in the face of physical limitation or disability.
The ReWalk Personal Exoskeleton developed in Yokneam offers patients with spinal cord injuries (SCI) a new level of independence with life-changing robotics. The most widely used personal exoskeleton is now even better—with breakthrough technology for greater control, engagement, , and real-world mobility. Use the ReWalk Personal Exoskeleton as part of a home-based functional ambulation program to elevate the health and quality of life for individuals with spinal cord injury.
Available now and covered by Medicare.
The only personal exoskeleton that enables access to environments with stairs and curbs, increasing opportunities to experience the benefits of walking.
New crutch control for even greater ease of use and faster, easier training.
Proven health benefits, including improved spasticity, trunk control, bowel/bladder function, mental health, and more.
Lumenis is a global leader in the field of minimally-invasive clinical solutions for the Surgical, Ophthalmology and Aesthetic markets. Lumenis is known for its innovative energy-based technologies, including Laser, Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) and Radio-Frequency (RF).
Microbot Medical is the first medical device company specialized in the researching, designing, developing and commercializing of the next generation of a micro-robotics assisted medical technologies. With our innovations we will tap into one of the fastest growing spaces in the medical field, the minimal invasive space, while continuously building devices that improve an individual’s health, comfort, accessibility and quality of life through as well as delivering added value to all other stakeholders.
The company was successful in collaborating with the medical community and industry to find unmet medical needs that the exciting technologies can resolve, leading to our first products under development: the Self Cleaning Shunt (SCS for treatment of Hydrocephalus) and TipCat as a self-propelling, semi-disposable endoscope to resolve cross-contamination and other challenges presented with colonoscopy procedures.
Breakthrough non-invasive brain neuromodulation technology. Neurolief provides a solution for the millions who suffer from the debilitating effects of migrane and depression. It enables safe and highly effective independent treatment without interference with daily activities.
Neurolief uses a cutting edge wearable neurostimulation technology. The founders are experienced in development and successful world-wide commercialization of innovative neuromodulation products.
Norav Medical (founded 1993) is the leading company in the fields of PC-ECG, EKG Management systems and related non-invasive cardiac devices. The company has a strong commitment to offer state of the art products at competitive prices.
The majority of the company employees are engaged in the development of new products and improvements of existing ones. Norav Medical has gained its reputation in prompt response to market demands. Its R&D team masters know how and technology in the fields of software, hardware, computers, networking and data management.
Crohn's disease is an awful disease. Those who have it suffer greatly when the outburst hits, and are in constant stress and straggle to maintain remission, between outbursts. Those of us lucky enough not to have Crohn's disease - rarely understand the pains and reduction in quality of life associated with it. Our mission is to introduce a daily treatment, non-chemical, which will ease and shorten disease outburst periods and increase remission time.
Photopill is a swallowable home-use disposable capsule that delivers specific therapeutic light protocol to the Gastrointestinal tract, for the purpose of treating Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) and Crohn's Disease (CD) in particular.
The PhotoPill requires no preparation procedure, no external steering or imaging of the treated area. It travels through the GI tract, and excreted naturally. The PhotoPill capsule emits specific light protocols, to stimulate mucosal healing and reduce inflammation.
Rapid Medical's mission is to develop safe and effective neurovascular medical devices that are beneficial to patients and meet physicians' needs. We are committed to advancing patient care by providing the most reliable, easiest to use and highest quality products supported by proven clinical data.
The Serenno Medical System is a pioneering bedside Urine Output (UO) Measuring Device for hospitalized patients. Offering a breakthrough solution for accurate and automatic UO measurement- with lower cost, less workload and improved patient safety.
SipNose develops innovative Nasal delivery device focusing on Nose to Brain medical applications.
ipNose products are innovative, noninvasive, patent pending and are based on short time to market developing plan. The products are designed to be cost effective, high compliance and biocompatible.
On top of its innovative nasal delivery platform, SipNose is developing novel applications for unmet need clinical conditions, through its collaborations with pharmaceutical companies and academia leaders. Those innovative applications will perform a synergistic outcome subsequent to the compound-devise combination.
SipNose platform can bridge the gap between your CNS drug candidate (whether it is a small molecule, or a large protein) and its efficacy and safety measures.
TriSol develops a prosthetic percutaneous Tricuspid valve replacement.Trisol device is a Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Replacement, which is implanted easily and intuitively. Trisol valve is constructed out of nitinol frame with specially designed dome-shaped leaflet. Its unique design provides a comprehensive solution to eliminating Tricuspid Regurgitation while preserving the Right Ventricle function. Trisol Valve is suited to all severe Tricuspid Regurgitation patients.
Tricuspid Regurgitation occurs when the tricuspid valve fails to close properly, causing blood to flow backward from the Right Ventricle to the right atrium. Many cases of Tricuspid Regurgitation are accompanied by the Dysfunction of the Right Ventricle. In the US alone, there are about 1.6 million patients suffering from Tricuspid Regurgitation. Tricuspid Regurgitation is currently treated by surgery. Due to the high risk related to the surgical procedure, most of the patients cannot surgically treated. As such, there is a significant unmet clinical need for a transcatheter solution to Tricuspid Regurgitation.
UC-CARE is a medical device company that targets the treatment of Prostate Cancer. The company has been developing a unique, patented diagnostic and treatment system aimed to improve diagnostic and treatment procedures of prostate diseases to solve the problem of Blind Biopsy and provide an improved treatment system for Focal treatment.
UC CARE's patented technology for Smart Biopsy and Focal treatment of Prostate Cancer utilizes a local navigation system and 'natural prostate landmark' for an accurate localization of the biopsies taken during a Biopsy procedure. The localization data includes the needle tip coordinates, the needle angle and the longitudinal place of a positive biopsy within the specimen. The system enables an accurate "return to the point" by registration between two procedures for evaluation of the size and grade of a tumor found or a second biopsy that can be added to the first procedure for a systematic saturated biopsy. It is easily implemented and does not require advanced handling skills, or prolonged training.
UPnRIDE Robotics develops, produces and markets innovative devices in the field of upright mobility technologies. The first product is the UPnRIDE™, a revolutionary wheeled device that allows full and functional mobility in both sitting and standing positions, at any urban environment, and which is based on a patent. Much like a Segway or an electric scooter, when placed in standing position, the UPnRIDE™ moves over all different kinds of terrains at the user's guidance.
The UPnRIDE™ is a novel wheeled device that allows people with lower limb disability or weakness to be mobile in both standing and sitting position, in any urban environment. The UPnRIDE™ is used at all time and everywhere (indoor and outdoor), thus improves health and self-esteem, replaces costly training devices (e.g. standing frame) at home and reduces the need for medical treatments and physical therapy.
Vibrant Ltd. is a private company that developed a revolutionary, chemical-free & side-effect free vibrating capsule for constipation. The Vibrant capsule targets the basic physiological parameters of constipation and induces natural bowel activity without using chemical supplements or changing the delicate internal body equilibrium.
The capsule mechanically induces the peristaltic wave in the large intestine, helping to relieve constipated patients without side effects. Constipation relief is achieved by the capsule’s vibrations on the large intestinal wall, consequently inducing natural peristaltic activity, generating spontaneous bowel movements.
Vibrant capsule is easy to swallow. The capsule is controlled through algorithms, predefined by Vibrant’s R&D and gastroenterologists. The capsule is activated by a base unit that transfers the data of the predefined algorithm into the capsule, before swallowing it. The capsule operates inside the large intestine and is washed out of the body with the bowel movements.
In 2021 MedTronic purchased Triple Jump Israel for a reported $300 million. Triple Jump Israel was a startup that developed a unique small insulin pump patch that is placed on the patient’s body. It has mobile connectivity capabilities and is included in a future artificial pancreas system.
Cardiac Success is developing the V-sling device to improve the lives of the millions of patients who, despite guidance-directed medical therapy, continue to suffer and deteriorate from Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction (HFrEF). The V-sling is a transcatheter ventricular repair device designed based on a successful surgical papillary muscle approximation procedure.
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