Value Investing and Longer Term Investing
02-12-2017
, 04:36 PM
Re: Nuvectra. There's some good stuff on CoBF about Algovita, their SCS device. There's also a brief overview of the partnership with Aleva for DBS (Aleva's innovation is directional DBS stimulation).
Interestingly, they recently filed for FDA/CE approval for their SNS device. And, they've also filed alot of the patents pertaining to that device in the past few months. Big breakthroughs here, too - they managed to decouple the need for a 1:1 channel/conductor:electrode contact relationship. So, the competitor has X amount of conductors, and X amount of electrode contacts. NVTR introduced a relay such that they can have X amount of conductors and X*Y amount of electrode contacts - in short, they've developed a mesh electrode array with a 10x10 electrode contact configuration or 16x16. So, 100-256 contact points rather than 24 or whatever the competitor is. And all 100-256 of those contacts are on/around the sacral nerve. So, as the stim program loses efficacy over time (which happens with SNS - habituation or something like that), the patient can alter which of the 100-256 electrodes are activated, and can re-target the stim to an area that provides effective relief. the best part is that they've developed a way to allow the patient to reprogram which electrodes are activated from their own home. Basically, the pt uses the pt programmer at home, and nvtr's algorithm activates select electrode contacts one by one. Activating an electrode will either cause a bellows response, a toes response, no response, or a pain response. Bellows response means muscle contraction in the pelvic area, while toes response means muscle contraction in toes. When testing new electrode sites, the pt records each instance where bellows response occurs prior to a toes response (the stim can produce both, so which one comes first is important). And then, basically, the programmer takes the input for which electrodes are causing a bellow response first, deactivates the old electrodes, and activates the new ones causing that bellow response. Then the pt can superimpose their pre-set programming options over the new activated electrodes, and the pt programmer sends the new electrode and programming information to your clinician through the cloud.
In short, if your sns device stops working, in the past (or with competitors) you'd schedule a doctor's appt and reprogram the electrodes (of which competitors only have 20 or so contacts, as opposed to hundreds) at the doctors office. So, for the week you're waiting for your appointment, you're running to the bathroom 25x a day and pooping your pants or whatever. Not fun. With the at-home programming option, as soon as efficacy declines, you can reprogram immediately from your home. And much greater flexibility to effectively target incontinence with their mesh electrode array. Pretty cool stuff.
Interestingly, they recently filed for FDA/CE approval for their SNS device. And, they've also filed alot of the patents pertaining to that device in the past few months. Big breakthroughs here, too - they managed to decouple the need for a 1:1 channel/conductor:electrode contact relationship. So, the competitor has X amount of conductors, and X amount of electrode contacts. NVTR introduced a relay such that they can have X amount of conductors and X*Y amount of electrode contacts - in short, they've developed a mesh electrode array with a 10x10 electrode contact configuration or 16x16. So, 100-256 contact points rather than 24 or whatever the competitor is. And all 100-256 of those contacts are on/around the sacral nerve. So, as the stim program loses efficacy over time (which happens with SNS - habituation or something like that), the patient can alter which of the 100-256 electrodes are activated, and can re-target the stim to an area that provides effective relief. the best part is that they've developed a way to allow the patient to reprogram which electrodes are activated from their own home. Basically, the pt uses the pt programmer at home, and nvtr's algorithm activates select electrode contacts one by one. Activating an electrode will either cause a bellows response, a toes response, no response, or a pain response. Bellows response means muscle contraction in the pelvic area, while toes response means muscle contraction in toes. When testing new electrode sites, the pt records each instance where bellows response occurs prior to a toes response (the stim can produce both, so which one comes first is important). And then, basically, the programmer takes the input for which electrodes are causing a bellow response first, deactivates the old electrodes, and activates the new ones causing that bellow response. Then the pt can superimpose their pre-set programming options over the new activated electrodes, and the pt programmer sends the new electrode and programming information to your clinician through the cloud.
In short, if your sns device stops working, in the past (or with competitors) you'd schedule a doctor's appt and reprogram the electrodes (of which competitors only have 20 or so contacts, as opposed to hundreds) at the doctors office. So, for the week you're waiting for your appointment, you're running to the bathroom 25x a day and pooping your pants or whatever. Not fun. With the at-home programming option, as soon as efficacy declines, you can reprogram immediately from your home. And much greater flexibility to effectively target incontinence with their mesh electrode array. Pretty cool stuff.
02-18-2017
, 03:16 PM
