Clockwise from top left: A man wearing Mitsufuji Corp.’s shirt that monitors heart rates; Paramount Bed Co.’s “smart bed system,” with a patient lying in a bed that measures respiratory and heart functions; Apple Inc.’s Apple Watch; and Fitbit Inc.’s smartwatch. | KYODO Local authorities and hospitals in Japan have been using a range of...
The market for medical devices historically has been dominated by big-ticket “physician preference items” such as artificial joints, spinal implants, and cardiac pacemakers. Venture capital and private equity investors have been eager to fund new firms in this expanding and lucrative domain. Changes in physician payment and organization are reducing the demand for these cost-increasing...
