After decades of research and development in neurostimulation technology, Ohio is riding a national commercialization wave in neurodevices. Neurostimulation, also referred to as electrostimulation, uses electricity as an alternative to drug therapy. Treatment applications include relief of chronic pain, paralysis and depression.
There are approximately 725 persons currently employed in Ohio manufacturing industries related to electromedical and electrotherapeutic apparatus equipment, according to Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc. At first blush, the number may not look impressive, but jobs in these industries garner an average income of $75,000. The economic impact of the industry is just the beginning.
“It’s becoming known we’re not a flyover zone,” says Dr. Hunter Peckham, a biomedical engineering professor at Case Western Reserve University. “Neurotechnology is the fastest growth area of the medical device industry. All of a sudden, Cleveland is an area where investors are starting to look at something going on with company formation.”
