Although certainly not a given, many researchers and companies are pursing the eventual goal of bioprinting human organs, starting with the three-dimensional printing of a structure that has cellular function. If organ function via bioprinting becomes a reality for the skin, bone, lung, liver, eye and/or kidney, among other potential organs, the market opportunity could be in the billions. But challenges, including cost and ethics, stand in the way of this milestone in regenerative medicine.

Momentum is rising for patients with chronic kidney disease to be treated with hemodialysis in the comfort of their own home as opposed to traveling several days a week to a freestanding clinic. Manufacturers, government and payers are paving the way for a higher home-therapy adoption rate. That said, many patients remain unsuitable for home care and the large volume of water needed to operate hemodialysis can be logistically daunting.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is performed routinely using devices providing protection from stroke as standard of care. However, cerebral embolic protection devices currently available do not capture and remove emboli from all three vessels leading to the brain. The Emblok Embolic Protection System from Innovative Cardiovascular Solutions (ICS) has developed an embolic filter designed to protect all three cerebral vessels during TAVR and remove debris from the entire circulatory system.