Each year, START-UP reviews the sectors of the medical device industry that received private funding to see what will be filling the pipelines of medical device companies in the future. Despite gloomy talk by VCs and strategics predicting a future scarcity of new innovative products, the actual data from 2012 show many categories holding steady and pockets of up-and-coming technologies attracting investment.

By combining near-infrared spectroscopy with ultrasound waves, clinicians now have the ability to noninvasively monitor blood flow changes and oxygen saturation in the brain. The CerOx monitor, from Israel-based Ornim Inc., is a vital organ monitoring device that can simultaneously monitor the brain and other tissue of critical care patients. The company estimates that there are approximately 10 million medical procedures annually that could benefit from CerOx, ranging from patients with traumatic brain injury to occlusive vascular disease.

START-UP's monthly comprehensive review of emerging life science companies that have received venture funding during the month, including companies in in vitro diagnostics, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and research/analytical equipment & supplies.

This Month's Profile Group: New Orals, Better Topicals Top Psoriasis Wish List, features profiles of Avexxin, Cellceutix, Convoy Therapeutics, and Creabilis. Plus these Start-Ups Across Health Care: Domain Surgical, Ornim, Protagonist Therapeutics, SpineGuard, and Xcovery.