I used to hate magic shows. Nothing frustrated me more than trying to figure out how the guy removes the beautiful woman from the box on stage, only to wow the audience moments later by revealing her—in the flesh—sitting in the theatre’s balcony with a big smile on her face. Magicians will never tell you their secrets, they will never disclose how the rabbit got in the hat, much less how he pulled the poor thing out of it. The stock answer, if ever asked, is a smug, “It’s just magic!” Many years ago I attended a magic show where the showman singled me out of the audience to be his “assistant.” I climbed up on the stage quite sure I’d get the inside scoop on his tricks. I struggled to concentrate while watching the magician’s nimble hands snip a rope into two parts and then deftly join the cut ends back together. When he ceremoniously yanked on the rope to prove to me and to the audience how fantastic his stunt really was, my frustration at not catching how he pulled it off settled it — I was done with magic and magicians! I stopped attending magic shows from
Continue readingTag: TMS
TMS patient feature
It Started in My Basement, Now it Improves Patients Lives
Charles M. Epstein, MD, or “Chip” as he’s been known since childhood, is a professor of neurology specializing in epilepsy and the founder of the Laboratory for Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). He is also a co-inventor for the technology that is utilized by Emory partner Neuronetics, Inc in their NeuroStar TMS Therapy® for treating depression. Neuronetics has safely administered more than 10,000 NeuroStar TMS Therapy® treatments with clinically significant results: among patients studied, 54 percent responded to the therapy and 33 percent found their depression in remission. Neurostar wasn’t the first technology you were involved with. Could you tell us about some of your previous technologies? NeoControl was actually the first magnetic technology that went on the market thanks to Neotonus. This company was the first to develop TMS to treat urinary incontinence in women. World wide, women have been more prone to urinary incontinence than men. This was especially true after childbirth and before modern obstetrics. Using electromagnetics, treatment is much more comfortable than prior methods. The magnets work right through clothing and are essentially painless. This was the foundation of Neotonus’ technology, NeoControl. Unlike brain stimulation, TMS in the pelvic area takes even more power and without our
Continue readingCase Managers’ Reflect on Their Time with TMS
OTT’s first disclosure from Charles “Chip” Epstein, MD related to his work with an iron core stimulation coil was received in the spring of 1995, with a second disclosure related to transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) coming along in late 1997. These were not only the early days for the technology but also the early days of our budding Tech Transfer office. The technology looked promising since it was both the first magnetic stimulator to utilize an iron core design which enabled improvements in power efficiency, heat generation, focal stimulation, and costs. Recognizing these benefits, OTT decided to pursue patent protection resulting in two primary patent families; one focused on stimulating the nervous system and the other on stimulating the brain. These two disclosures formed the foundation of technologies licensed to two Emory start-ups Neotonus and Neuronetics and the winding path for a successful TMS treatment for depression began. Originally Neotonus licensed both patent families in late 1996 and launched into product development. The company’s primary focus was on their NeoControl system which was a non-surgical, non-invasive, painless treatment for female urinary incontinence also involving TMS. The system received FDA clearance in 2000. When Neuronetics came along in 2001, it was
Continue readingThe Personal Side of a Tech Transfer Patient Video
AUTM (Association of University Technology Managers), our professional association, started a program called “Put a Face On It” three years ago with the goal of making a real-world connection between our members’ work and its ability to transform people’s lives. We were excited for the opportunity. Our first project was about a cardiac imaging toolbox. We had a great story – the inventor and patient were the very same person; he had his own invention used on himself before his by-pass surgery (see the video here). The story has been a rousing success. At Emory we are blessed to have a number of worthwhile innovations that have made a difference in people’s lives. The challenge for video number two was selecting one of those stories and finding a willing patient to participate. It’s not as easy as it might sound at first. If the technology is a diagnostic – How do you find a patient when the technology was just a part of the process to get treatment? If the technology is a surgical device – Does the patient know it was used and do they understand the importance of its role? One of the ideas floated after much discussion
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