Three medical device companies to be featured at 2012 Inno-Vention Conference

Three medical device companies from Oakland County will showcase their technologies during the upcoming "Inno-Vention - A Medical Main Street Conference." The companies - Intrinsic Medical Imaging, Oxus and Sentio - will be showcased during a morning session titled "Michigan's Home-Grown Medical Device Revolution," which focuses on medical device innovations created by Michigan companies. Inno-Vention is set for Oct. 3-5 at the Royal Park Hotel in Rochester. Registration is at www.MedicalMainStreet.org. "This region's strength in the health care and life science industries was a well-kept secret for too long," Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson said. "We have industry-changing technologies being developed here that are improving people's lives. We've done cars pretty well for a long time. It's time to get the word out we're changing the quality of people's lives through innovation and technology." This inaugural Medical Main Street conference and networking event centers on the complete life cycle of medical device development in Michigan. The conference features business-to-business introductions for medical device manufacturers and suppliers from the United States and around the world. The focus is on medical device manufacturers, suppliers and clinicians, and the next generation of devices in oncology, cardiology and orthopedics. The three featured companies are: * Intrinsic Medical Imaging, which is based in Bloomfield Hills, produces three-dimensional modeling technology that allows doctors to see inside an organ after a CT scan rather than just the exterior, allowing for earlier detection of tumors and other abnormalities. * Oxus, based in Rochester Hills, manufactures an oxygen concentrator that allows oxygen-dependent patients to leave their homes with the portable device, eliminating the need to carry bulky oxygen bottles. The device removes nitrogen from the air, producing an unlimited supply of oxygen for the user so there is never a worry about running out of oxygen. * Sentio, based in Southfield, uses technology first developed in the auto industry to create the SentioMMGTM nerve mapping and avoidance system for spinal surgery. It allows for minimally invasive surgery to be performed while avoiding injuries to the nerves. Inno-Vention will also feature sessions on financing, product development, a "wish list" for products doctors would like to see in the future and a commercialization competition, where three start-up medical device companies make sales pitches to a panel of investors in hopes of actually receiving funding for the product. A pre-conference reception is set for Oct. 3 and post-conference tours of major medical and life science facilities are set for Oct. 5. Patterson created Medical Main Street in 2008 to focus on growing the life science industry in Oakland County and Southeast Michigan. Since the launch, Medical Main Street companies have generated investment of more than $220 million and created or retained more than 2,900 jobs. The county's burgeoning life science industry includes 100,000 health care and life science jobs - more than the number of jobs at the Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinics combined. There are nearly 4,900 active clinical trials throughout Oakland County and the state - more than California, Florida, Texas or New Jersey. In addition to company attraction, Medical Main Street helps entrepreneurs commercialize their life sciences technologies, assists local life sciences companies grow their markets globally, trains the work force for this industry, and works with state government to ensure Michigan is legislatively a top state for life sciences companies. Published: Wed, Aug 22, 2012