Archive for August 2016
InSightec’s Ultrasound Tech Wins FDA Nod as Essential Tremor Treatment
InSightec is helping some patients avoid brain surgery by using focused ultrasound to treat essential tremor in a noninvasive manner. InSightec’s Exablate Neuro includes a helmet that circulates cooling water to keep a patient’s scalp from overheating during the focused ultrasound treatment. For patients suffering from essential tremor, brain surgery can be a daunting…
Read MoreIntuitive Surgical Exec: Here Is Why Robotic Surgery Is Useful
Dr. Catherine Mohr, senior director of medical research at Intuitive Surgical. Intuitive Surgical is the maker of the Da Vinci Surgical System, a robot used in prostate removal and other surgical procedures. There, Dr. Mohr develops new surgical procedures and evaluates new technologies for improving surgical outcomes. She submitted this piece in response to a post by Forbes contributor…
Read MoreMedicare’s Hospital Readmission Penalties Hit New High
The federal government’s readmission penalties on hospitals will reach a new high as Medicare withholds more than half a billion dollars in payments over the next year, records released Tuesday show. The government will punish more than half of the nation’s hospitals — a total of 2,597 — having more patients than expected return within…
Read MoreCorindus Vascular Robotics hires J. Aaron Grantham as chief medical officer
Corindus Vascular Robotics announced August 3 that it had hired J. Aaron Grantham, MD, as its chief medical officer. Grantham, an interventional cardiologist, will continue to treat patients at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Missouri. In his new role at Corindus, Grantham will focus on educating physicians and others about the…
Read MoreReliantHeart’s aVAD Left Ventricular Assist Device Earned CE Mark
ReliantHeart’s next-generation aVAD left ventricular assist device has just earned CE Mark approval and implants are set to begin in September. ReliantHeart’s new left ventricular assist device (LVAD), the aVAD, has been approved for commercial implants in Europe. On Tuesday, the company received CE Mark approval for the aVAD. Recently profiled by MD+DI, the aVAD…
Read MoreFDA approved CyPass Micro-Stent, an Implant for Glaucoma
The FDA has approved the CyPass Micro-Stent, a device for treatment of mild to moderate primary open-angle glaucoma that is intended to be implanted along with cataract surgery. The device will be marketed by Alcon, a division of Novartis. Alcon acquired Transcend Medical, the original developer of this technology, in February 2016. The stent creates a channel for…
Read MoreHuman Clinical Trial of Vaccine to Prevent Zika Virus Launched by NIH
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, has begun the clinical trial of a vaccine intended to prevent infection of the Zika virus. The study will comprise at least 80 healthy participants aged 18 – 35 and aims to assess the vaccine’s safety and ability to…
Read MoreNew Law Requires Equal Pay Between Men and Women for Comparable Work
BOSTON (AP) — Republican Gov. Charlie Baker signed into law Monday a bill requiring men and women be paid equally for comparable work in Massachusetts — including what supporters say is a first-in-the nation provision barring employers from asking prospective workers to provide a salary history. Baker signed the bill during a Statehouse ceremony. Women…
Read MorePortable Ultrasound System Wirelessly Transmits Data to Smart Devices
Healcerion, a company based in South Korea, has developed an ultrasound system that’s no bigger than the transducer itself. The SONON 300C uses a paired tablet or smartphone of your choice as the display, wirelessly transmitting the data to the smart device from where images can be analyzed and shared with others. It weighs only…
Read MoreWireless Sensor-Enabled Spine Implant Company, Intellirod Spine, Raises Over $1M from Investors
Akron, Ohio-based Intellirod Spine, a sensor-enabled spine implant company, has raised more than $1 million in a round led by new and existing investors, including Queen City Angel First Fund V and JumpStart. Previous investors include the Kentucky Seed Capital Fund and the City of Akron, Ohio. Intellirod Spine is developing wireless sensors that will measure…
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