FULFILLING UNMET MEDICAL NEEDS USING OUR UNIQUE EXPERTISE

For over 20 years, the Alfred Mann Foundation has been looking to the horizon in their pursuit to create new medical devices. We know that there are people out there who are suffering from debilitating medical conditions for which the current treatments are inadequate or non-existent. We also know that revolutions in technology in the last five decades have the potential to bring vast improvements in the quality of life of these patients, but only if the effort is made to apply these technologies to create medical solutions.

Universities and for-profit companies alike are making tremendous advances in medicine and technology, but all too often, there is too great a divide between the innovations and the marketplace. Al Mann has termed this void “the valley of death” and has made it his mission to create organizations that can provide safe passageway to valuable technology from innovation to implementation. His mission began in 1985 with the founding of the Alfred Mann Foundation, formed “to conduct scientific research to develop innovative technical solutions to improve the quality of life and safety of people suffering from debilitating medical conditions.”

Since then, a world-class team of electrical, mechanical, and biomedical engineers, software designers and clinical specialists has been assembled, giving us a knowledge base unparalleled in the field. Our team has created novel technologies that have had great impact on the lives of thousands of people. The Clarion® Cochlear implant has helped over 8000 hearing-impaired patients hear again. The long-term glucose sensor is a critical component of an artificial pancreas. The BION® microstimulator device has helped women, in the US and Europe, recover their quality of life after suffering from Urinary Urge Incontinence, and it is in clinical trials to examine its value to sufferers of migraines. Our battery-powered microminiature functional electrical stimulation device, currently in development, holds almost unlimited promise in the aid it can provide to those who’ve suffered spinal cord injuries, strokes and many other debilitating conditions.

And the innovations continue as we look forward to new problems to solve and new patients to help. It is a privilege to lead this team to the next horizon.