(Bloomberg Businessweek) -- Innovator Jeffrey O’Donnell Sr.Age 56Chief executive officer of Trice Medical, a 35-employee startup in King of Prussia, Pa.Form and functionThe Mi-eye2 is a wide-angle camera in a disposable needle with a USB-connected tablet meant to diagnose joint injuries without an MRI.InsertAfter numbing a patient’s knee, shoulder, or other joint, a surgeon inserts the 0.09-inch Mi-eye2 needle.
ViewVideo from the camera shows a 120-degree view of the interior of the joint on the tablet, allowing the surgeon to spot tears and other injuries. OriginO’Donnell founded Trice Medical in 2011 with engineer Richard Washburn and a group of orthopedic surgeons. The company was incubated at BioStar Ventures, where O’Donnell had been a managing partner.
FundingTrice has raised about $22 million for Mi-eye2, its only product, from venture capital firms and individual investors.
CustomersThe FDA-cleared Mi-eye2 is meant for orthopedic surgeons. The imaging system sells for $495, and the tablet rents for $250 a month.
RivalsCompeting in-office orthoscopic systems are bulkier, with thicker, nondisposable needles and bigger processors, and typically display only a 75-degree field of view.
Next StepsTrice plans to launch Mi-eye2 internationally in the second half of 2017. Nirav Amin, an orthopedic surgeon and professor of sports medicine and knee reconstruction at Loma Linda University Medical in Loma Linda, Calif., says the device’s size puts his patients at ease and the disposable needles reduce infection risk. “It’s a fantastic new product,” he says.
To contact the author of this story: Michael Belfiore in at michael@michaelbelfiore.com.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Jeff Muskus at jmuskus@bloomberg.net.
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