A research team led by neuroscientists and neurosurgeons from Paris-Saclay University have recently managed to demonstrate that electrical stimulation of the thalamus can restore consciousness when this has been impaired.

Cairdac SAS closed its first funding round, raising nearly $18.5 million to increase development of an autonomous, leadless pacemaker transcatheter system (ALPS) powered entirely using kinetic energy from the heart. Five French private equity funds and banks participated in this series A round.

The German Medical Technology Association, BVMed, and the French medical technology industries association, SNITEM, have issued a joint warning highlighting the risk of collapse in patient care throughout the EU.

Meduni Vienna, the Medical University of Vienna, Austria, is working on a novel eye scanner combining the structural and functional sensitivity of optical coherence tomography (OCT) with the chemical specificity of Raman spectroscopy, to acquire data from the living human eye.

C2i Genomics Inc. reported the formal launch of its C2inform minimal residual disease diagnostic across Europe, after obtaining CE marking for the cancer test. The Cambridge, Mass.-based company also has completed several clinical trials it ran with research partners to validate the technology and will be presenting data in different cancers at the American Association for Cancer Research in New Orleans, April 8-13.

Software Machines and Adaptive Implants in Orthopedics (SMAIO) SA raised $10 million on the Paris Euronext Growth market. The offer price was set at $6.66 a share. “Thanks to this IPO, we will now be able to ramp commercial development of our I-Kontrol arthrodesis platform in Europe and secure a foothold in the United States,” Philippe Roussouly, CEO of SMAIO SA, told BioWorld.

A brainwave biomarker licensed by digital therapeutic startup Empower Therapeutics Inc. showed potential to identify patients with high sensitivity to pain. In a new study carried out by researchers at the University of Birmingham, U.K., the biomarker predicted which patients had a pain score of seven out of 10 or higher (severe pain) following lung surgery.

A 2,000-patient U.K. study has been set up to generate real-world evidence of the value of using AI technology to detect bowel polyps (adenomas) during colonoscopy procedures. The aim is to show whether Medtronic plc’s GI Genius system improves the detection of polyps when deployed in both expert centers and non-specialist units, in the routine diagnostic screening of patients referred from primary care or through the national fecal immunochemical testing program.

Cardiorenal is advancing a digital solution for chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients with a new seed investment. The Grenoble, France-based startup’s product Tenor attracted $3.7 million from investors to secure regulatory clearance in the U.S. and Europe.

Bringing a new medical device or diagnostic to market has never been a small feat for small companies, and regulatory review is still one of the largest hurdles facing device makers. However, a new report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and the UCLA Biodesign program shows that the twin issues of coverage and reimbursement still combine to present the most difficult hurdle to overcome for med-tech companies.