NEWS TRENDS

A company that helps implantable device manufacturers manage their operations better has been named one of the top 500 fastest-growing companies in America by Inc. magazine.

Implantable Provider Group (IPG; Alpharetta, GA) has grown more than 1500% since its founding in 2004, good enough for #138 on Inc.'s list, highest among device industry firms. It is helped by the double-digit annual growth of the medical implant market. IPG had revenues of $11 million in 2007, up from $652,000 in 2004.

IPG helps clinical providers manage complex authorization, procurement, contracting, and billing functions related to implant devices in the neurology, cardiovascular, and orthopedic areas. Its partners include Medtronic Neuromodulation and Smith & Nephew, among others.

Other device and related companies in the top 500 include the following:

• OraMetrix (Richardson, TX), which provides 3-D medical imaging for orthodontic care.
• Reliant Technologies (Mountain View, CA), which develops laser treatment systems that tighten, rejuvenate, and resurface skin.
• Health Diagnostics (Melville, NY), which provides diagnostic imaging for private-practice physicians.
• InTouch Health (Santa Barbara, CA), which makes the Remote Presence Robotic System, a wireless, mobile robot featuring a two-way video and audio computer system that allows physicians to monitor and interact with patients.
• HemCon Medical Technologies (Portland, OR), which makes bandages that control bleeding and infection for the healthcare industry, the Department of Defense, and first responders worldwide.