Posts by cstephenson@legacymedsearch.com
When You Need A Breast Screening, Should You Get A 3-D Mammogram?
When I went to the imaging center for my regular mammogram last year, the woman behind the desk asked me if I’d like to get a “3-D” mammogram instead of the standard test I’d had in the past. “It’s more accurate,” she said. What do you say to that? “No, thanks, I’d rather have the…
Read MoreFDA clears “first ever” 3D printed spine implant to treat of multiple injuries
Metal additive manufacturing has hit on a clear niche within the healthcare industry for producing small and complex medical grade implants at scale. Many 3D printing companies working within medicine have a portfolio of devices for the purpose, typically including a sample of 3D printed cages used to support the spine. However, in what is tipped to be…
Read MoreEfforts to Kill Reinstated Medical Device Tax Ramping Up
Congressional efforts to kill the newly reinstated medical device tax are ramping up. A short-term federal spending plan proposed this week by House Republican leaders would suspend the 2.3 percent sales tax for two years, retroactive to Jan. 1. Congress has until Saturday to extend spending or risk a government shutdown. Meantime, Massachusetts’ Democratic senators have introduced legislation that would eliminate the tax. “Until we have a bill that’s…
Read MoreSynaptive Medical with Allegheny General Hospital Neurosurgeons First in Pennsylvania to Use Groundbreaking Robotic Surgery System
TORONTO & PITTSBURGH–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Synaptive Medical Inc., a Toronto-based medical technology company, announced today that neurosurgeons at Allegheny General Hospital, part of Allegheny Health Network (AHN), will be the first in Pennsylvania to use its latest generation robotic imaging technology for cranial and spinal procedures. Derived from a robotic arm previously used on the International Space…
Read MoreScalpel Found Inside Body 4 Years After Surgery at CT Veterans Hospital
Glenford Turner had surgery in 2013 at a Veterans Affairs hospital in Connecticut. Four years later, according to a new lawsuit, doctors discovered that a sharp metal surgical instrument had been accidentally left inside the Army veteran’s body. “It’s perplexing to me how they could be so incompetent that a scalpel that really should only…
Read MoreA Robotic Implant Could Treat Congenital Disorders in Babies
When implanted, a new robot is able to promote tissue growth by pulling and tugging at organs. It may sound alarming, but this new device could revolutionize the way doctors treat esophageal atresia, a congenital defect in which part of the esophagus is missing at birth. With future developments, the robotic implant could also promote growth in…
Read MoreMedical device companies brace for return of Affordable Care Act tax
During the three years that the government collected a tax on sales of medical devices, Maple Grove’s Inspire Medical Systems never turned a profit on its sleep apnea treatments. CEO Tim Herbert says the company could have had 12 to 15 more employees if that tax money, which helped pay for the Affordable Care Act,…
Read MoreInterview with Lukas Weidenbacher on “Spray-On” Muscle Fibers
Few patients with heart failure are fortunate enough to receive a donor’s heart. Ventricular assist devices (or heart pumps) have been around for several years and are designed to buy time as patients wait for a transplant. Unfortunately, the body doesn’t always tolerate these devices. Researchers at Empa now use a new procedure to produce…
Read MoreCardiovascular Benefits of Using a Sauna
A research group from the University of Eastern Finland has published a series of studies demonstrating regular sauna bathing may be associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease, sudden cardiac death, hypertension, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, according to a press release. The group’s latest work, published Dec. 21 in the Journal of Human Hypertension, highlights the…
Read MoreFDA Clears First Medical Device Accessory for Apple Watch®
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — AliveCor, the leader in FDA-cleared personal electrocardiogram (EKG) technology, today announced FDA clearance of KardiaBand in the U.S., allowing Apple Watch users to discreetly capture their EKG anytime, anywhere in order to quickly detect normal sinus heart rhythms and atrial fibrillation (AFib), the most common heart arrhythmia. The first FDA-cleared…
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