Neurinnov

Neurinnov is a French medtech company that develops implantable neurostimulation solutions to help people with tetraplegia regain control over their hand movements. Their flagship product, HandyGrasp, is an implantable device that uses selective neural stimulation to restore grasping functions in patients with complete spinal cord injuries between cervical vertebrae C5 and C8.

The device consists of an implant containing an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) that is surgically positioned near the clavicle. Electrodes connected to the implant are placed on the median and radial nerves in the arm to stimulate specific nerve fibers and activate targeted muscles for hand opening and closing. An external sensor detects the patient's intention to move their hand through voice commands or neck muscle contractions.

Neurinnov's technology is the first to enable selective activation of muscles by steering electrical currents through specific nerves, avoiding unintended contractions of other muscles associated with the stimulated nerve. This selective stimulation optimizes the desired muscle movements while mitigating undesirable side effects. Clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of Neurinnov's device, with the results published in the prestigious Nature Scientific Reports Journal in March 2023.

The company, a spin-off from INRIA and the University of Montpellier, was founded in 2018 by David Guiraud, David Andreu, and Serge Renaux based on over 20 years of research in electrophysiology, functional physiology, and microelectronics. Neurinnov aims to obtain CE marking for HandyGrasp by 2027, enabling its commercialization across Europe.