Investigator-Sponsored Research Program

Research Areas

Each Boston Scientific division reviews research requests for a variety of topics pertaining to Boston Scientific products and associated disease states.

We are currently looking at research in the following areas:

Interventional Cardiology/Structural Heart Topics of Interest

TAVR: Lotus Edge and Acurate

• Efficacy in Complex Cases, Unique Aortic Anatomies and subpopulations
• Embolic protection
• Health Economics Analysis
   

Watchman

• Imaging
• Health Economics Data
• Blood thinner comparative data
• Subgroup analysis
   

Complex PCI

• FFR, iFR, DFR usage
• Health Economics and Efficiency Analysis
   

Stents and Balloons

• Agent and Synergy applications and sub-population data
   

Peripheral Interventions Topics of Interest

• New/emerging Technologies
• Health Economics and/or Quality of Life
• Comparative-Effectiveness
• Geographic variation in device use
   

Rhythm & Electrophysiology Topics of Interest

General Topics of Interest

• Personalization of Ablation Strategy
• Rhythmia and Ablation Catheters
• Single Shot Ablation Technologies
• Diagnostics and Monitoring
• Subcutaneous ICD
• ICD and CRT Therapy
  
  

Specific Topics of Interest

ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY: Cardiac Mapping and Ablation

Personalization of Ablation Strategy

• Personalization of atrial fibrillation ablation strategy with multiple technology options
  
  

RHYTHMIA HDx™ and Ablation Catheters

• Procedural best practices and outcomes with state-of-the-art technology, including RHTYTHMIA HDx™ with ultra-high definition mapping and/or DIRECTSENSE™, AutoTag, and LUMIPOINT™ features
• Low fluoroscopy workflow
• High-power short duration ablation workflow in pulmonary vein isolation
• Substrate mapping and scar identification using RHYTHMIA HDx™
  
  

Single Shot AF Ablation Technologies

• Real-world performance, including in persistent AF patients
• Procedural best practices and outcomes
• Identification of late pulmonary vein reconnection using electro-anatomical mapping
• Low fluoroscopy workflow
  
  

RHYTHM MANAGEMENT Devices

Diagnostics and Monitoring

• Management of HeartLogic™ alerts: best practices
• HeartLogic™ index during recovery periods
• HeartLogic™ vs functional status
  
  

Subcutaneous ICD

• Changeouts at ERI and/or system revisions
• Implant techniques impacting procedural success, DFT, outcomes
• Management and consequences of S-ICD complications compared to TV-ICD complications.
• Real-world performance of S-ICD with the SMARTPass filter, compared to TV-ICD performance
  
  

ICD and CRT Therapy

• Positive and negative predictive values of BSC AF Monitor
• Site-specific pacing from physiologic sites to improve HF outcomes
• Imaging ischemic cardiac tissue location to guide optimal lead placement

Applicability of major study results across races and nationalities

Endoscopy/Airway Topics of Interest

• Gastro
• Biliary
• Snares
• polypectomy
• Severe asthma and bronchial thermoplasty (BT)
  • BT – patient selection and markers of response and/or safety.
  • Severe asthma – natural history.
• Bronchial thermoplasty in practice
  • Case studies demonstrating safety and efficacy of BT.
  • Procedure optimization.
  • Clinical experience in patients with characteristics such as:
    • Low FEV1
    • Elderly
    • Occupational asthma
    • Allergic and non-allergic asthma
    • Asthma with concomitant use of immunomodulatory agents
    • Asthma with a COPD component.
  • Patient satisfaction data.
  • Clinical outcome data such as impact on medication usage.
• Bronchial thermoplasty mechanism of action
  • Evaluate the impact of BT on airway remodeling, inflammation, and hyperresponsiveness.
  • Assess impact on asthma pathophysiology.
  • Identification of biomarkers for patient responders
  • Further definition of patient responders. 
     

Urology and Pelvic Health Topics of Interest

Urolithiasis

• Treatment outcomes in upper tract urinary stone disease
   

BPH

• Treatment outcomes and QoL in BPH
   

Cancer

• Spacing and marking for radiation in various anatomies
   

Female Stress Urinary Incontinence

• The case for minislings as standard of care therapy for stress urinary incontinence
  • Patient experience
  • Economics
• A systematic review and meta-analysis of the safety and efficacy of urinary slings for treating female stress urinary incontinence
• Incidence of complications following sling surgery in high risk women (obesity, medical comorbidities, concomitant hysterectomy etc.)
• Learning curve for Solyx
   

Pelvic Floor Reconstruction

• Use of Capio in native tissue repair for prolapse
• Safety and efficacy of Y- mesh implanted by transabdominal route
   

Removal of Uterine Tissue

• A meta-analysis of the safety and efficacy of Symphion in treating fibroids
   

Male Stress Urinary Incontinence

• AUS / AdVance XP vs comparative device studies
  • Patient and/or Caregiver satisfaction/experience
  • Performance & treatment outcomes
• Economics of Incontinence
  • Coping costs (i.e. pads/laundry/pills)
  • Economic impact on society
  • Patient productivity
  • Mental health
• Benefit of diagnosing Incontinence
  • Cardiovascular
  • Diabetes
  • Obesity
• Female AUS studies

Male Erectile Dysfunction (ED)

• AMS 700 / Tactra vs other competitive devices
  • Patient and/or Partner satisfaction/experience
  • Performance & treatment outcomes
• Economics of ED
  • Cost effectiveness of IPP as first line therapy
  • Coping costs (i.e. alternative erectile dysfunction solutions)
  • Economic impact on society
  • Patient productivity
  • Mental health
• Benefits of diagnosing ED
  • Cardiovascular
  • Diabetes
  • Obesity

Neuromodulation Topics of Interest

• Spinal Cord Stimulation
  • Treatment of chronic, intractable pain of the back and legs using the Spectra WaveWriter™ SCS System
    • Of particular interest:
      • Efficacy of combination therapy
      • Programming optimization
      • Contour™ field shaping algorithm vs other field shapes
      • Anatomical vs paresthesia-based neural targeting
• Deep Brain Stimulation
  • Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease and other movement disorders using Vercise™ Deep Brain Stimulation System
    • Of particular interest:
      • Freezing of gait
      • Replacement of other DBS systems with Vercise DBS System
      • Use of multiple frequencies on one lead
      • Use of current fractionalization to maximize overlap with desired structures and minimize stimulation of non-target tissue
      • Novel targets for Parkinson’s Disease, Dystonia, Tremor (may require IDE)