Medtronic to Integrate Layer 7 BCI with StealthStation and Launch MiniMed Go™ After FDA Clearance
Medtronic and Precision Neuroscience will co-develop a Layer 7 brain–computer interface integrated with Medtronic’s StealthStation for real-time functional and structural mapping. Its Diabetes unit gained FDA 510(k) clearance for the MiniMed Go™ Smart MDI system integrating Abbott’s Instinct sensor and InPen™, U.S. launch due this spring.
1. Medtronic Executive Cites “Significant Firepower” for Acquisitions
At the annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco on January 12, Medtronic’s executive team highlighted the company’s strong balance sheet and liquidity position, reporting approximately $7.8 billion in available cash and short-term investments as of year-end 2025. This ample financial firepower positions Medtronic to pursue strategic bolt-on and transformative acquisitions across its six core businesses, including cardiac rhythm management and minimally invasive therapies. Management reiterated its goal to allocate up to $10 billion in M&A capital over the next 24 months, targeting markets with high growth potential such as neurostimulation, diabetes care and robotics, while maintaining investment-grade credit ratings and a net debt/EBITDA ratio below 2.5x.
2. Partnership with Precision Neuroscience Advances Intraoperative Brain Mapping
Medtronic has entered into a strategic co-development agreement with Precision Neuroscience to integrate the latter’s Layer 7™ brain–computer interface with Medtronic’s StealthStation™ surgical navigation platform. The collaboration, announced January 12, 2026, aims to deliver real-time functional and structural brain mapping in the operating room, enhancing surgical precision for tumor resections and epilepsy treatments. Medtronic’s Neuroscience Portfolio president Brett Wall stated that the integrated system will be piloted in five leading academic medical centers during H2 2026, with commercial launch planned for mid-2027. The partnership leverages Medtronic’s installed base of over 1,200 StealthStation units globally and Precision’s minimally invasive electrode arrays capable of recording up to 256 cortical channels.
3. FDA Clearance of MiniMed Go™ Smart MDI System Expands Diabetes Portfolio
On January 12, Medtronic’s Diabetes business announced FDA 510(k) clearance for its MiniMed Go™ Smart Multiple Daily Injection system, which integrates the InPen™ smart insulin pen with Abbott’s Instinct™ continuous glucose monitor via the MiniMed Go™ mobile app. The app delivers dose calculations, missed-dose alerts and real-time glucose data to individuals aged 7 and older, with supervised use in children as young as 2. Medtronic cited real-world evidence from 1,852 type 1 users showing a 21.5 percentage-point increase in Time in Range when users addressed over 75% of missed bolus alerts within 1 hour. Commercial launch is slated for spring 2026 in the U.S., expanding Medtronic’s addressable market of over 15 million MDI patients globally.