From Expo Exhibit to Clinical Reality: Medtronic Accelerates Commercialization of Innovative Neuromodulation Devices in China

(Source: China International Import Expo)

On December 19, the first CIIE Quality Products Trade Fair opened at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), where Medtronic showcased its Asia-Pacific premiere and star exhibits from the eighth CIIE at this trade fair.

At the "CIIE First Launch New Products Showcase" exhibition area, the Asia-Pacific premiere of the 8th CIIE — Medtronic's world-first rechargeable closed-loop spinal cord neurostimulator, Inceptiv, made another appearance.

Research shows that there are over 300 million chronic pain patients in China, and this number is continuously increasing at a rate of 10 to 20 million per year. Inceptiv can "listen to the signals emitted by the body," sensing changes in spinal cord bio-signals in real-time under different patient movements and automatically adjusting stimulation accordingly. This can help patients with chronic intractable pain and those suffering from painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy to alleviate pain and improve their quality of life.

The product, with its revolutionary design, won the "Most Breakthrough Innovation" award from TIME Magazine in 2024 and the "Chronic Disease Treatment Solution" Edison Award in 2025. It garnered significant attention during the CIIE and was selected as one of the "Top Ten Exhibits of the Year 2025 at CIIE."

At the "Public Welfare Science Exhibition," Medtronic focused on medical science popularization in the field of neuromodulation and showcased its cutting-edge products offering full therapy solutions in this domain. Among them, Percept RC, a rechargeable and sensing closed-loop brain stimulator representing Medtronic's advancements in brain-computer interface technology, made another appearance.

Studies show that in China, there are over 5 million patients with tremors, more than 400,000 patients with dystonia, and over 10 million patients with epilepsy. Compared with the traditional one-way treatment of brain pacemakers, Percept RC incorporates artificial intelligence technology, which can sense and analyze patients' brain electrical activity in real time, making the treatment more aligned with the changes and needs of patients' conditions. As the first exhibition product at the 7th CIIE, Percept RC has now been officially put into clinical application in China.

Medtronic Global Senior Vice President and Greater China President, Gu Yushao, stated, "With 36 years of deep roots in China, Medtronic has always prioritized patients and is committed to accelerating...Innovative HealthcareClinical Application of Technology.As an extension of the CIIE, we look forward to the CIIE Quality Products Fair continuously amplifying the spillover effects of the CIIE, helping transform ‘exhibits’ into ‘products’, turning ‘innovation’ into ‘healthy choices’, and contributing to the grand goal of Healthy China 2030.”

It is reported that since the first China International Import Expo (CIIE), Medtronic has showcased over 600 innovative products, of which more than 70 premiere exhibits have been clinically implemented, benefiting a wide range of patients and medical professionals in China. Participating in the first CIIE Quality Products Trade Fair is another significant step for Medtronic to strengthen its connection with the CIIE platform and promote the transformation of exhibits into commercial products.

As a representative enterprise in the field of medical technology, Medtronic actively assumes corporate social responsibility and is committed to enhancing public awareness of diseases and conveying cutting-edge innovative solutions through various forms of science popularization. As an innovation pioneer in the field of neurology, since carrying out the world's first deep brain stimulation surgery in 1987, Medtronic has worked with doctors worldwide to bring this innovative therapy to more than 70 countries, benefiting over 250,000 patients globally.

Focusing on the innovation process and unmet needs, during its 26 years in China, Medtronic has successively brought advanced therapies and products to China, such as Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS), Targeted Drug Delivery (TDD), Sacral Neuromodulation (SNM), and radiofrequency ablation for metastatic bone tumors, helping to fill the gaps in China’s neuromodulation-related fields.