Irish medical technology firm Medtronic has expanded partnership with Samsung Electronics America to accelerate the development of digital health solutions for neuromodulation patients and healthcare providers.

Medtronic

The partnership will focus on developing digital health solutions to treat people with chronic pain, movement disorders, incontinence, and other conditions that could benefit from neuromodulation therapy.

Under the deal, the firms will involve in the development of advanced tools based on the Android operating system to help patients and physicians interact with and receive data from Medtronic’s clinically-proven neuromodulation systems.

Medtronic seeks to deliver real-time health data to physicians and patients through integrating neuromodulation therapies, allowing to effectively manage the therapy, track symptoms and wirelessly monitor data received from Medtronic devices.

Medtronic restorative therapies group neuromodulation president and senior vice-president Tom Tefft said: "Medtronic is committed to solving healthcare challenges, and through this alliance we intend to create efficiencies by developing digital solutions that connect patients and healthcare providers in real-time."

In addition, the partnership will focus on enabling patients implanted with neuromodulation therapies to use consumer electronics such as smartphones, wearables or tablets, and wirelessly transmit real-time data from their device to their physicians.

In June this year, Medtronic and Samsung partnered to develop solutions to improve diabetes management.

Under the deal, the firms are involved in mobile applications for Samsung mobile devices to enable the viewing of insulin pump and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) sensor information.

Samsung Electronics America healthcare and fitness head and chief medical officer Dr Dave Rhew said: "Samsung is applying its deep understanding of how people use technology to bring new innovations to healthcare."


Image: Medtronic operational headquarters, Minneapolis. Photo: courtesy of Medtronic, Inc.