Medtronic and Samsung Electronics has announced a broad-based strategic alliance to accelerate the development of digital health solutions for the millions of people suffering from chronic pain, movement disorders, incontinence, and other conditions who could benefit from neuromodulation therapy.

The alliance will leverage Samsung's deep understanding of consumer technology and mobility to develop advanced tools, based on the Android operating system, aimed at improving how patients and physicians interact with and receive data from Medtronic's clinically-proven neuromodulation systems. By integrating neuromodulation therapies with Samsung technology, Medtronic seeks to deliver real-time health data to physicians and patients so they can more effectively manage the therapy, track symptoms and wirelessly monitor data received from Medtronic devices.

"Medtronic is committed to solving healthcare challenges, and through this alliance we intend to create efficiencies by developing digital solutions that connect patients and healthcare providers in real time," said Mr Tom Tefft, senior vice president and president of Neuromodulation, which is part of the Restorative Therapies Group at Medtronic. "Medtronic has a track record of developing meaningful patient innovations, and this collaboration is the first step to providing more personalized patient care and arming patients and physicians with the best consumer-relevant technologies."

In the future, this alliance between Medtronic and Samsung is intended to focus on enabling patients implanted with neuromodulation therapies to use consumer electronics, such as smartphones, wearables or tablets, to securely and wirelessly transmit real-time data from their device to their physicians. Connecting patients and physicians in this manner could provide many potential benefits, including allowing physicians to more quickly make informed, data-driven treatment decisions.

"Samsung is applying its deep understanding of how people use technology to bring new innovations to healthcare," said Mr Dave Rhew, chief medical officer and head of healthcare and fitness for Samsung Electronics America. "These future solutions will help better manage the health of patients by providing them with advanced, easy-to-use tools that securely deliver real-time data to their physicians."

In June 2015, Medtronic and Samsung announced a similar collaboration to enable solutions to improve diabetes management for the millions of people at risk and currently living with the disease. The first project focuses on delivering more discreet and convenient access to personal diabetes data by developing mobile applications optimized for Samsung mobile devices that will enable the viewing of insulin pump and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) sensor information.