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Source | CPhI China Medical DevicesAs clinical needs continue to evolve, the "ultimate weapon" in the ICU, ECMO, is still advancing.Medtronic Launches New Generation Portable ECMO
On September 26, Medtronic's official website announced the launch of a new ECMO system called VitalFlow™. This is a configurable single-system ECMO solution built on simplicity and performance.
According to the official website, the VitalFlow system features a large, intuitive touchscreen that centrally displays real-time performance data, offers configurability, and incorporates the proven Medtronic Nautilus™ ECMO oxygenator design for long-term stable performance.Medtronic stated,VitalFlow™ ECMO System Bridges the Gap Between Bedside Care and In-Hospital Transport, Offering Clinicians an Easier and Smarter ECMO Experience.Dr. Karim Bandali, President of Cardiac Surgery within Medtronic’s Cardiovascular Portfolio, believes that the VitalFlow system is easy to use, allowing users of varying comfort levels to confidently and efficiently serve patients. It can be easily moved between different departments in a hospital and offers durable and reliable performance.In March 2024, Medtronic completed the acquisition of MC3 Cardiopulmonary.Medtronic believes that the VitalFlow™ technology is a result of Medtronic's acquisition of MC3 Cardiopulmonary, which is so far the company's...The Most InnovativeTechnology.It is reported that the two parties had maintained a partnership and distribution agreement for eight years, during which seven new ECMO products were launched. Prior to the acquisition, MC3 Cardiopulmonary had been developing and manufacturing differentiated, high-quality ECMO products, exclusively distributed by Medtronic. Moreover, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, this partnership reliably provided these long-term indicated products.
The number of ECMO cases in China has experienced explosive growth.
Domestic Brands Await Rise
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), as an important advanced continuous extracorporeal life support technology, is mainly used clinically for supporting heart and/or respiratory insufficiency. It has now become a key technology in treating severe, uncontrollable heart failure and respiratory failure.The application scenarios of ECMO technology in China are currently concentrated in tertiary hospitals, and have gradually expanded to other tertiary hospitals and secondary hospitals.According to data from Party B's treasure, the main ECMO brands in use in China in 2023 are foreign brands such as Germany's Maquet, Fresenius, Italy's Sorin, and the United States' Medtronic. However, with the breakthrough of domestically produced ECMO from 0 to 1, Chinese brands have begun to emerge.ChinaShenzhen Hannuo Medical, Jiangsu Saiteng, and Beijing Aerospace New Long MarchChinese ECMO manufacturers have captured nearly 30% of the market share, with their share increasing again in the first quarter of 2024.In additionHeart Power Medical, Life Shield MedicalECMO products under research by Chinese ECMO manufacturers have respectively entered the preclinical development stage.Continuously breaking technological barriers.Compared to Europe and the United States, the use of ECMO in China is severely insufficient.According to data from the "China Medical Device Industry Development Report (2022)," Germany has one ECMO machine for every 20,000 to 40,000 people on average, while in China, there is currently one ECMO machine for every 2.8 million people on average, showing a significant gap in ECMO penetration compared to Germany.But in recent years in ChinaUse of ECMOShowing a trend of rapid annual growth. According to statistics from Frost & Sullivan, the ECMO utilization rate was 0.01 per 100,000 residents in 2014, 0.09 per 100,000 residents in 2016, and 0.46 per 100,000 residents in 2019.CAGR up to 115.1%。The sharp increase in demand during the pandemic, coupled with the promotion of favorable policies in recent years and the release of expert consensus, has led to an explosive growth in the number of ECMO cases conducted in China.In the promotion of the medical device update project launched nationwide in China, some regions have included ECMO in the update sequence. For example,Anhui ProvinceIt was proposed to focus on the goal of ensuring that patients with serious illnesses do not need to leave the province for treatment. Support will be provided to national regional medical centers, provincial high-level hospitals, and key hospitals specializing in traditional Chinese medicine. The emphasis will be on equipping these facilities with devices such as medical imaging, radiotherapy, telemedicine, and surgical robots.Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), ventilators, remote monitoring and other life-support equipment.In addition, with the continuous updating of clinical needs,ECMO Devices Are Becoming Portable, Informational, and Intelligentin areas such as portability, battery life, and stability, higher demands are being placed on these aspects.AsMaquetThe Cardiohelp cardiopulmonary assistance system can provide patients with portable cardiopulmonary circulation support.MedtronicThe newly launched next-generation portable ECMO also bridges the gap between bedside care and intra-hospital transport.There is an imbalance in the development of medical standards between regions in China, and there is a strong demand for the transfer of critically ill patients. In May this year, the "Opinions on Strengthening the Construction of Intensive Care Medical Service Capabilities" issued by the National Health Commission mentioned that intensive care medical staff should be arranged in national emergency medical rescue teams, and equipped with ventilators,ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation)）, monitors and other equipment as well as necessaryPortable Device。At present, Chinese ECMO manufacturers such asHannuo MedicalA breakthrough has been achieved in this field. The ECMO device with long battery life and multiple battery backups can effectively address the aforementioned pain points, further promoting the application of ECMO in scenarios such as out-of-hospital rescue and long-distance transport in China.Although the deadlock has been broken, the road ahead is still long. From market entry to widespread clinical adoption, it will take time for domestically produced ECMO systems to gain momentum.- END -
