THE TECHNOLOGY PIPELINE

What's in the technology pipeline?

By Yona Tadir, MD

Out of Israel come several potentially useful ob/gyn devices, the development of which is being sponsored in part by the government's Chief Scientist Office.

Practicing obstetrics and gynecology is completely different today than it was only 10 to 20 years ago. In 2004, making babies in vitro is commonplace; preimplantation genetic diagnosis rarely makes headline news; and ultrasound scanning is routine. Minimally invasive surgery has now replaced many major surgical procedures and has moved to outpatient surgery centers; compact imaging devices that are capable of making sophisticated analysis in small clinics have changed the structure of patient referral to hospitals, and heavy-duty scanners such as MRI, PET, and CT, are moving from one parking lot to another.

The future looks even more exciting as surgical procedures become better controlled and documented, and patients' medical data are better managed and communicated electronically. Israel is one of several countries at the forefront in this technological adventure. We have developed an "incubator" system here that supports innovative ideas with seed funding. Each project is granted partial funding by the government's Chief Scientist Office, and most projects are located in remote regions to stimulate and support growth on the periphery.

Each site focuses on 10 to 15 projects/companies, and following a careful review process, seed funding to cover up to 80% of costs is granted for a period of 2 to 3 years.

This kind of creative atmosphere has even triggered development of innovative medical devices by groups that are not funded by the government-supported incubator system.