Posts by cstephenson@legacymedsearch.com
Orange County to Use First CT Scanner for Autopsies in Florida
Florida’s Orange County is investing half a million dollars in a CT scanner for its local morgue, a move expected to speed up the autopsy process and facilitate criminal investigations without cutting into victims’ bodies, WFTV reported this week. The CT machine county officials have their eyes on is one currently being used in fewer…
Read MoreMagnetic Surgical Cement Pulls Chemotherapy Drugs across Blood-Brain Barrier into Spinal Tumors
Patients with spinal fractures caused by tumors or osteoporosis usually undergo a procedure called kyphoplasty, where the fracture is filled with surgical cement. While kyphoplasty can stabilize the bone, cancer patients are still often left with spinal column tumors that are very hard to reach with conventional chemotherapy, which has to cross the blood-brain barrier…
Read MoreFirst Non-Radioactive Device for Breast Cancer Receives FDA Approval
Endomag, the surgical guidance company, announced that it has received premarket approval (PMA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Magtrace, the first non-radioactive, dual-tracer for lymphatic mapping in patients with breast cancer undergoing a mastectomy. Magtrace is a liquid marker designed to follow the route that cancer cells are most likely to…
Read MoreImplantable Surgical Mesh may cause Autoimmune Disorders
Surgical mesh implants, often used for hernia or gynecological repair, may be the reason so many patients report symptoms of an autoimmune disorder, according to a University of Alberta rheumatologist. ‘In my practice, I studied 40 patients who had mesh implants and found that almost all of them had symptoms such as chronic fatigue, cognitive…
Read MoreIBM’s Watson Recommended “Unsafe and Incorrect” Cancer Treatments
Last year, studies presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting showed that IBM Watson was pretty darn good at creating treatment plans for cancer patients. Turns out, however, that the AI is still far from perfect: according to internal documents reviewed by health-oriented news publication Stat, some medical experts working with IBM on its Watson…
Read MoreHouse Votes to Repeal Obamacare’s Medical Device Tax
The U.S. House of Representatives voted 283-132 this week to repeal the 2.3% tax levied upon medical devices as part of the Affordable Care Act. The medical device tax, which has long been decried by the industry as a measure that squashes innovation and kills jobs, has been on hold since 2014. The tax’s moratorium…
Read MoreBoston Scientific to Buy Claret Medical for up to $270 Million
Boston Scientific Corporation today announced it has signed an agreement to acquire Claret Medical, Inc., a privately-held company that has developed and commercialized the Sentinel® Cerebral Embolic Protection System. The device is used to protect the brain during certain interventional procedures, predominately in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). The transaction price consists of $220 million in up-front…
Read MoreFDA Clears First Nanotechnology PEEK Devices for Spinal Intervertebral Fusion
Vallum Corporation, a medical device company, today announced that it has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market a polyetheretherketone (PEEK) spinal interbody fusion device with a PEEKplus® nanotextured surface created by Vallum’s proprietary and patented Accelerated Neutral Atom Beam (ANAB) technology. PEEKplus® is the first and only FDA-cleared nanotextured…
Read MoreBiotech Manufacturing is Booming with Growth of Biologics and Gene Therapies
Manufacturing is the non-glamorous side of biopharma, although its impact on the economy shouldn’t be underestimated. For example, a recent report published by TEConomy and BIOtitled, “Investment, Innovation and Job Creation in a Growing U.S. Bioscience Industry 2018,” reported that the average wage in bioscience manufacturing was $64,860. It also reported that the six largest employer states in the drugs…
Read MoreNovel Intracranial Fluid Management System Receives 510(k)
IRRAS AB, a commercial-stage medical technology company focused on developing and commercializing transformative treatments to manage intracranial fluids, announced that it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for IRRAflow, its integrated, closed medical device system that enables controlled cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) management as well as accurate, continuous monitoring of intracranial pressure…
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