Sinus pain is just the beginning for Tivic Health’s CEO

Tivic Health CEO Jennifer Ernst [Image courtesy of Tivic Health]

Tivic Health CEO Jennifer Ernst thinks the bioelectronic medicine space is ready to explode.

When serial inventor John Claude showed Jennifer Ernst an early prototype of what would become Tivic Health’s ClearUp device, she thought the 9-in.-long black wand looked like a rectal thermometer for a cow. But Claude said his wife agreed that running it over her face to deliver ultra-low current electrical waves cleared up sinus congestion.

Ernst — a Xerox veteran who went on to grow the U.S. business of flexible electronics company Thinfilm (now Ensurge Micropower) — was intrigued. It was her introduction to bioelectronic medicine. She compares the field to semiconductors, personal computers or online retail in their early days.

“This has all the markings of an industry that is going from the esoteric science to being ready to explode in the …

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  • July 25, 2022
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NIH launches $9.8M neuromodulation competition

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced today that it launched the first phase of its Neuromod Prize competition.

Neuromod Prize, a $9.8 million competition, aims to accelerate the development of neuromodulation therapies. NIH seeks scientists, engineers and clinicians to submit novel concepts and clinical development plans to demonstrate solutions for stimulating the peripheral nervous system to treat disease and improve human health.

According to a news release, the first phase of the competition will award up to $800,000. NIH plans to launch a second phase awarding up to $4 million, then a third phase awarding up to $5 million, subject to the availability of funds. NIH will launch the second and third phases at a future time.

The Neuromod Prize makes up part of the Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions (SPARC) program from the NIH Common Fund. NIH said it hopes to use the competition to bridge the gap between early-stage rese…

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  • January 18, 2022
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