Posts by rw-admin
Tiny Heart Valves for Tiny Bodies
Congenital heart disease, the most common birth defect, can affect the heart’s walls, valves and arteries. The biggest problems associated with treating congenital heart disease are the limited availability and poor durability of replacement heart valves, said Henri Justino, M.D., director of the Charles E. Mullins Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories at Texas Children’s Hospital. Very few options exist for young children with congenital heart disease, he said.…
Read MoreSmiths Medical Releases Firmware Update for Medical Device Security
Smiths Medical recently released a firmware update to eliminate potential medical device security vulnerabilities that had been discovered by an independent researcher earlier in 2017. The vulnerabilities may have allowed remote attackers to gain unauthorized access, affecting certain infusion pumps’ intended operations, the Department of Homeland Security’s Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team (ICS-CERT) said in a…
Read MoreFDA: Ongoing Efforts to Mitigate Impact of Saline Shortages During this Flu Season
As flu activity remains widespread across the U.S., the FDA continues to monitor this situation closely and in coordination with our colleagues at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We’re continuing to take steps to help ensure that people with the flu have access to critical medical products, including antivirals, saline and other…
Read MoreWearable Medical Devices Helping Millions
Imagine if the pedometer on your wrist did more than just count steps. Imagine it measured blood sugar, detected heart rate irregularities and logged that data in a digital health record. For decades, health-care data like this was only recorded at the doctor’s office or in a controlled study. Wearable technology has changed that. Armed…
Read MoreUCLA Bioengineering Leads Development of Stingray-Inspired Soft Biobot
UCLA bioengineering professor Ali Khademhosseini has led the development of a tissue-based soft robot that mimics the biomechanics of a stingray. The new technology could lead to advances in bio-inspired robotics, regenerative medicine and medical diagnostics. The study was published in Advanced Materials. The simple body design of stingrays, specifically, a flattened body shape and side fins that start…
Read More3 Medtech Sectors Showing Positive Growth
Mike Matson, a medtech analyst at Needham & Co., kicked off earnings season with a recent report on three sectors he thinks grew last quarter, compared to the previous quarter, based on early earnings announcements from several companies. Matson noted that 12 of the firm’s 21 covered companies preannounced fourth-quarter 2017 results, and all but…
Read MoreSmart Inhaler Tracks Administration of Single-Use Smartpod Filled with Medical Marijuana
The legalization of marijuana in Canada is imminent, and Toronto-based startup Resolve Digital Health hopes it is uniquely positioned to take advantage of it with its smart medical device system. Dubbed Breeze, the technology is designed to provide a more accurate, metered medical marijuana solution. It uses single-use Smartpods filled with cannabis buds or oil, which is then…
Read MoreRobotic Exoskeleton Gives Super-Strength to Wearer by Tenfold
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently gave its stamp of approval to Cyberdyne. But don’t worry: Skynet isn’t on the cards just yet. In fact, it’s a Japanese robotics company that just so happens to have the same name as the company from the Terminator movies, which is responsible for blowing up mankind.…
Read MoreGoodbye Medical Device Tax… at Least for 2 Years
It’s time to kiss the medical device tax goodbye, again. The stopgap spending deal that cleared the Senate and the House on Monday contained an unexpected surprise for medtech: a two-year suspension of the 2.3% medical device tax. President Trump signed off on the bill Monday night. “This suspension is good news for American patients and…
Read More19 Spine and Orthopedic Medical Device Companies to Watch in 2018
2017 was filled with mergers, acquisitions, and FDA approvals, and the momentum has not seemed to stop. Here are 19 spine and orthopedic devices companies to watch in 2018 based on their success in 2017. Alphatec (Carlsbad, Calif.) After making leadership changes this year, Alphatec expects to see around $101.4 million in full-year 2017 revenue,…
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