Archive for November 2016
Make Way for Medrobotics: A Twist for Surgical Robotics
Since 2000, California-based Intuitive Surgical has dominated the world of robot-assisted surgery. Its da Vinci system has logged well over two million surgical procedures. Now, however, a Massachusetts startup called Medrobotics has launched a system of its own that features a design that could make robots a much more common fixture in operating rooms. Rather…
Read MoreAugmenix Announces New Category 1 CPT® Code from the AMA for Biodegradable Implantation
WALTHAM, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Augmenix Inc., (http://www.spaceoar.com), a medical technology company that develops, manufactures, and sells proprietary biodegradable hydrogels that separate and protect organs at risk during radiotherapy, announced today that with the support of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) and the American Urological Association (AUA), the American Medical Association (AMA) has granted a Category…
Read MoreOlympus Introduces New Version of Troubled Gynecological Device
Can a gynecological surgical device with a bad reputation make a comeback? Olympus America Inc. hopes so. The company on Tuesday launched its new tissue-fragmenting device, called an electric morcellator, with a novel attachment: a containment bag intended to keep the machine from accidentally spreading uterine cancer. Electric morcellators, introduced in 1993, enable doctors to…
Read More7-Year Old Gets 3-D Printed Skull After Traumatic Brain Injury
When Teddy Ward fell down a California hillside and suffered a traumatic brain injury about two years ago, he lost nearly 50 percent of his skull. After doctors weren’t able to repair it, they instead gave him a 3-D printed life-like skull that has helped him get back to being an ordinary first-grader, CBS Los…
Read MoreMedical Device Employees Are Often In The O.R., Raising Concerns About Influence
By Sandra G. Boodman They are a little-known presence in many operating rooms, offering technical expertise to surgeons installing new knees, implanting cardiac defibrillators or performing delicate spine surgery. Often called device reps — or by the more cumbersome and less transparent moniker “health-care industry representatives” — these salespeople are employed by the companies that make…
Read MoreNinePoint Medical Announces Substantial Hospital Reimbursement Increase for NvisionVLE® Imaging System Procedures
BEDFORD, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–NinePoint Medical, Inc., a transformative medical device company pioneering the use of an advanced imaging platform for gastrointestinal applications, announced today that the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has published its 2017 final fee schedule. The annual update includes a material increase to the reimbursement rate for CPT Code 432521 (upper…
Read MoreInterview Guide for Software Development Positions
Software Development is an extremely competitive field. Moreover, it doesn’t bode well for candidates now that several of the major industry players have started to move their software development sectors offshore to countries such as China and India. But despite all these challenges, you still land that sought-after software development interview. Congratulations! Now that you’ve…
Read MoreWhat’s the GOP Planning for the Medical Device Tax Under Trump?
Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election increases the likelihood the medical device tax will be repealed in 2017. However, the precise legislative path for repealing Obamacare’s device tax is “hard to know,” a key Republican lawmaker on the issue recently told me. Congress should act quickly, in a bipartisan way, on repealing the tax…
Read MoreMedtronic Launches Program to Reduce Costs of Total Joint Replacement
DALLAS — Medtronic announced the launch of Medtronic Orthopedic Solutions, a comprehensive program for total joint replacement episodes of care designed to reduce system costs and improve patient satisfaction and outcomes, according to a company press release. Medtronic Orthopedic Solutions was created to address the rising costs of hip and knee replacements, specifically addressing the…
Read MoreAngioDynamics Secures $100M Loan & $150M Credit Line to Expand Market Share
AngioDynamics has secured a $100 million loan and a $150 million credit line as the medical device maker refinances debt, frees up cash and searches for opportunities to expand its market share. Chief financial officer Michael Greiner said the move will give the Latham, New York catheter and port maker flexibility to pursue new opportunities…
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