Latest Stories


tissues, wearable, ultrasound

Wearable Ultrasound measures tissue stiffness

30 May 2023

Researchers at the University of California San Diego have developed a wearable ultrasound patch that is intended to provide information on the stiffness of underlying tissues as deep as 4 cm below the surface of the skin. The patch consists of a flexible 16 x 16 ultrasonic array with a silver-epoxy composite backing layer that is designed to absorb excessive vibrations. It can provide tissue

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breast cancer

Breast cancer detection system accepted

25 May 2023

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted premarket approval for Lumicell’s breast cancer detection assistance device.

The Lumicell Direct Visualisation System (DVS), which was granted fast track designation by the FDA in November 2020, is designed to detect residual cancerous tissue within the lumpectomy

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brain decoder, thoughts

Brain Decoder spells out thoughts

23 May 2023

Researcher scientists at the University of Texas at Austin have developed a brain decoding technology that combines an fMRI scanner and artificial intelligence, similar to well-known AI systems such ChatGPT or Bard. The technology can spell out our thoughts in text form, but more importantly may allow patients who cannot otherwise communicate, such as those experiencing significant

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Tuberculosis, medical device, devices

Tuberculosis treatment with nanotech knowledge

18 May 2023

Asingle pathogen, mycobacterium tuberculosis, causes tuberculosis (TB), which primarily impacts the lungs but can also affect the central nervous system (CNS).

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wound dressing, wound healing, medical device, medical devices

Wound Dressing detects infection

16 May 2023

Researchers at Linköping University in Sweden created a wound dressing that can provide a visual indication if the underlying wound is infected. Chronic wounds are difficult to manage, and presently healthcare staff must remove the dressing regularly to

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Test, mokeypox, mpox

Mpox virus rapid test developed

11 May 2023

Researchers at Penn State have engineered a rapid testing technology for mpox, previously known as monkeypox. The mpox virus, which is transmitted through close contact with an infected person and that spread around the world last year, left

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Age-related diseases, food science, food sciences

Age-related diseases imaging platform

09 May 2023

Health technology company Twinn.health has introduced a new artificial intelligence (AI)-driven imaging platform to enable the early identification of age-related diseases.

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Knee surgery, medical device, medical devices, digital tensioner device

Digital tensioning device for robotic knee surgery

04 May 2023

Smith+Nephew announced today that it introduced its new Cori digital tensioner device for robotic knee surgery.

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Blood glucose, medical device, medical devices

Blood glucose measurement with smartphone

02 May 2023

Researchers at the University of Washington have developed GlucoScreen, a smartphone system that can accurately measure blood glucose levels. The technology consists of a test strip onto which a user places a drop of blood. Following an electrochemical

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dental, medical device, medical devices

Dental bone graft products announced

27 April 2023

ZimVie (Nasdaq: ZIMV) recently launched two biomaterials that add to its dental bone grafts portfolio. The RegenerOss CC Allograft particulate naturally blends cortical and cancellous bone particles. It’s for use in filling bony voids in a variety of dental

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surgical robot, robots, medical device, medical devices

What’s on the horizon in surgical robotics?

25 April 2023

While question marks remain over where medtech is going, the path for surgical robotics remains full of excitement. Medical technology has experienced a bit of a rocky period lately. Layoffs continue to hamper the space, and financial outlooks are a bit

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Microparticle, drug delivery, medical devices, medicall

Microparticle for drug delivery

20 April 2023

Researchers at Rice University have developed a new type of microparticle for drug delivery, made from a polymer called PLGA that has already been extensively explored as a component in drug delivery systems. However, what makes these new particles

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heart failure, heart, medical device devices

Heart failure could be predicted with wearable device

18 April 2023

Wearable devices such as smart watches could be used to detect a higher risk of developing heart failure and irregular heart rhythms in later life, suggests a new study led by University College London (UCL) researchers.

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Chirurgische kit, Gelatin-Based Surgical Sealant

Surgical sealant for rapid sealing inside the body

13 April 2023

Researchers at the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation in Los Angeles have developed a gelatin-based surgical sealant. The sealant is thermoresponsive, meaning that it will rapidly form a semi-solid

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artificial heart implant

Artificial heart implanted in person next year

11 April 2023

BiVacor has raised $18 million to support the continued development of its preclinical artificial heart device. Cormorant Asset Management and OneVentures, through the OneVentures Healthcare Fund III, led the funding round, according to a March 29

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Smart bandage, wound healing

Smart bandage monitors and treats chronic wounds

06 April 2023

Researchers at the California Institute of Technology have developed a smart bandage for chronic wounds, such as those sometimes experienced by patients with diabetes. The bandage is flexible and stretchy, but contains electronic components that

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medical equipment, medical, equipment, tools, healthcare, medical

Importance of medical equipment planning in healthcare

04 April 2023

The healthcare sector is in a constant state of evolution, with new technologies and methodologies emerging regularly. A critical component of this growth is medical equipment planning, which ensures healthcare facilities have the right tools to deliver top-quality care to patients.

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cybersecurity, medical devices, medical security, network

Growing cybersecurity concerns for medical devices

30 March 2023

Medical devices include everything from surgically implanted inert pieces of plastic to complex technical IoT systems that are connected to the patient on one side and the network on the other. It is these “connected devices” that everyone, including healthcare leaders, heads of hospital IT and even patients are worried about.

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bone, 3d printing, bioink

Printing bacteria to make bone-like structures

28 March 2023

Researchers at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland have developed a method to 3D print mineralised constructs with a little helping hand from bacteria. The technique consists of printing a polymer bioink that contains bacteria that will produce calcium carbonate when exposed to a urea solution.

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brain scan, brain scans

AI can recreate what you see from brain scans

23 March 2023

Functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI, is one of the most advanced tools for understanding how we think. As a person in an fMRI scanner completes various mental tasks, the machine produces mesmerising and colourful images of their brain in action, or brain scans.

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ultrasound, catheter, medical device

Ultrasound catheter to treat hypertension

21 March 2023

Researchers at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the Université de Paris, France, have tested an ultrasound denervation catheter in its potential to treat hypertension. The technology is called the Paradise ultrasound denervation device and it has been developed by ReCor Medical, a medtech company with offices in California and the UK.

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mobile health, health apps, health

Mobile health market predicted to reach high revenues by 2030

16 March 2023

Mobile applications are at the spearhead of the swathing digitisation in healthcare that is changing how patients receive treatment. Regulated mobile health apps and especially health management apps are areas of digital health that are seeing boosts in usage, according to a webinar led by Elia Garcia, Medical Device Analyst at GlobalData, Medical Device Network’s parent company.

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3D printing, medical devices, medical 3D print

3D printing: the future of personalised medical devices

14 March 2023

Personalised medical devices are uniquely suited to the patient, improving fit, comfort, and outcomes while reducing the risk of complications. 3D printing, or additive manufacturing, is the process of joining materials layer by layer to construct an object from three-dimensional data.

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elastomeric pump, palliative care

Elastomeric pump could change palliative care approach

09 March 2023

A new approach to delivering palliative at-home treatment to advanced heart failure patients in Wales has been hailed a success – with hopes the award-winning model can be rolled out nationally.

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liquid chromatography, chromatography, antidepressants, antidepressant

Automated mass spec technique detects antidepressants

07 March 2023

Scientists at Brown University have designed an automated liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) system that allows clinicians to rapidly and easily process patient samples to determine levels of antidepressants in the body.

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spinal cord, spinal cord stimulation, motor function, motor functions

Spinal cord stimulation may improve motor function of stroke patients

02 March 2023

Other groups have previously generated clinical evidence that Spinal cord stimulation can promote the recovery of leg motor function in patients with spinal cord injury. However, the fact that strokes happen in the brain, not the spine, raised doubts about whether the intervention would work in patients suffering the aftereffects of the cerebrovascular event.

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Harmony, Harmony TPV, Medtronic

The relaunch of Harmony transcatheter pulmonary valve

28 February 2023

Medtronic has announced the relaunch of its Harmony transcatheter pulmonary valve (TPV) system, a minimally invasive alternative to open-heart surgery for congenital heart disease patients with native or surgically repaired right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT).

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orthopaedic devices, orthopaedic,medical

2023 might be a boom year for orthopaedic devices

23 February 2023

The orthopaedic devices market is expected to reach nearly $50 billion this year as procedures bounce back from COVID-19, according to GlobalData. They predict that the orthopaedic surgical robotics space will be even hotter this year, growing 25.6% year-over-year to $984 million.

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cardiac imaging, heart, ultrasound, cardiac, heart ultrasound

Wearable ultrasonic tool offers mobile cardiac imaging

21 February 2023

A group of engineers and physicians have created a wearable ultrasonic device that can provide continuous, real-time cardiac function assessment. As published in Nature, the portable device is said to use custom-built AI technology to analyse the left ventricle from different angles during motion.

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Molecular breast imaging, breast cancer, medical device, devices, funds

Molecular breast imaging development by Kromek

16 February 2023

Kromek (AIM: KMK), a leading developer of radiation and bio-detection technology solutions for the advanced imaging and CBRN detection segments, announces that it has been awarded funding from the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate

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kunstmatige neurons, artificial neuron, artificial neurons, ions

Artificial Neurons use Ions like the real thing

14 February 2023

Researchers at Linköping University in Sweden have developed artificial neurons that demonstrate 15 of the 20 characteristics of biological neural cells and can communicate with natural neurons in the body. The researchers call their device the “conductance-

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Aesthetic fillers, implants, cosmetic procedures, cosmetics procedures

Cosmetic procedures for beautification increasing

09 February 2023

Aesthetic devices refer to the devices that are used in cosmetic procedures for beautification. Aesthetic fillers and aesthetic implants are included under this category.

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brain computer interfaces, hydrogel, medical devices, brain, electrode

Hydrogel Scaffold makes a living Electrode

07 February 2023

A team of researchers at the Harvard Wyss Institute have developed a soft, hydrogel scaffold that can function as a living electrode for brain-computer interface applications. The researchers used electrically conductive materials and created a porous and flexible

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Fish skin, burn, medical devices, burned, hand

Kerecis announces new Fish-Skin Burn products

02 February 2023

Kerecis’ new GraftGuide Mano is fish skin designed to treat burns on the hand. The wound-treatment product can easily cover the 3D structure of the hand, so surgeons do not have to tailor the graft, reducing the need for multiple grafts and bulky fixation, and minimising surgical time.

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Neuron, neuronal, neurons, brain, Optogenetics Tech,

Neuronal Excitability changes by optogenetics

31 January 2023

Scientists at MIT have developed an optogenetics technique that can lead to long-term changes in neuronal excitability by altering neuronal membrane capacitance. Unlike conventional optogenetics, which involves using

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Digital health, patients, medical devices

Digital health outlook: trends to watch in 2023

26 January 2023

Since the Covid-19 pandemic erupted in 2020, digital health transformation has touched all areas of healthcare, with MedTech leaders and health providers championing new technologies to improve patient care.

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oral, cancer, cells, medical devices, cell

Oral cancer to be detected by Point-Of-Care Biosensor

24 January 2023

Researchers at the University of Florida have created a point-of-care biosensor that can rapidly detect a biomarker for oral cancer. The device uses test strips, such as those used in blood glucose tests, to spot cell proliferation regulating inhibitor of protein

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coronary artery disease, heart, medical devices, plaque

Coronary artery disease characteristics enabled

19 January 2023

Using machine learning and clinical data from electronic health records, researchers have constructed an in silico marker for coronary artery disease (CAD) to better measure clinically important characterisations of the disease.

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belt, heart, failure, medical, devices

Belt monitors heart failure patients

17 January 2023

Researchers at Florida Atlantic University have developed a belt that can monitor heart failure patients for signs of disease progression. The wearable device measures heart rate, thoracic impedance, electrocardiogram, and motion, all of which can

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Eye, macro, bioprint, bioprinted, eyeball, medical devices

Bioprinted Eye Tissue to study retinal diseases

12 January 2023

Researchers at the National Eye Institute, which is part of the National Institutes of Health, have created a method to 3D bioprint eye tissue that forms the outer blood-retina barrier. This

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Fertility tech, digital, IVF, clinicians, treatment

Fertility tech in 2023: increased patient experience

10 January 2023

Since the first baby conceived through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) was born in 1978, more than 8 million people globally have been born using the technology. While IVF success rates have improved since it was first

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gastro-intestinale, gastrointestinal tract, small intestine

Microbial Fuel Cell powers ingestible devices

05 January 2023

Researchers at Binghamton University have developed a microbial fuel cell that can power ingestible devices, such as cameras, that can detect health issues in the gastrointestinal tract, and specifically within the small intestine. The fuel cell contains

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Fractional Skin Resurfacing, venus, skin, medical, devices

Venus gets 510(k) clearance for Fractional Skin Resurfacing

03 January 2023

Venus Concept Inc. (“Venus Concept” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: VERO), a global medical aesthetic technology leader, today announced that it has received a 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) to market its AI.ME next

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Spinal,Cord,Nerve,Energy,Impulses,Into,Brain, Cerebral Palsy

Non-invasive spinal modulation for Cerebral Palsy

29 December 2022

SpineX, a medtech company based in California, has developed the Spinal Cord Innovation in Pediatrics (SCiP) device, a non-invasive spinal cord neuromodulation technology that is

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brain, investment

Brain-computer interface investment

27 December 2022

The investment arms of billionaires Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates joined a $75 million investment round in Synchron, a Brooklyn-based firm building a brain-computer interface for people who are paralysed below the neck.

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blood, pressure, camera, medical devices

Blood pressure measured with a camera

22 December 2022

At the University of South Australia, researchers designed a system that allows them to measure a patient’s blood pressure with a camera. The camera visualises the patient’s forehead and focuses on two regions in particular to

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smart bandage, medical device, healing

Smart bandage accelerate wound-healing

20 December 2022

Smart bandages that deliver electrical stimulation accelerated wound healing in mice by 25% compared to standard sterile dressings, according to a paper published in Nature Biotechnology.

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IVL, plaque, blood vessel, vessels

IVL shows tremendous growth

15 December 2022

Intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) has shown to be an effective alternative to traditional atherectomy procedures such as excisional, laser ablation or rotational atherectomies (RAs); it works by delivering a catheter to the heart through a small incision in the

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Heart failure, heart,

Monitoring congestive heart failure through speech

13 December 2022

Cordio Medical, a medtech company based in Israel, has developed HearO, an app that can assist in monitoring congestive heart failure. The technology is based on the phenomenon whereby congestive heart failure patients demonstrate changes in their voice

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viral, virus, ferrobot

Ferrobot swarms for rapid viral testing

08 December 2022

At the University of California Los Angeles, scientists have developed a handheld lab kit that can conduct automated pooled testing for viral diseases, including COVID-19. The technology consists of a microfluidic platform that relies on swarms of

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Smartphones, chronic disease, detection, smartphone

Smartphones can detect early chronic diseases

06 December 2022

Mobile health (mHealth) refers to mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets, that are used alongside software applications to support healthcare services. The objective of online medical services is to allow patients to rely on the advice of a

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Muscle, Atrophy, magenta,

Implantable device adheres to muscle, treats Atrophy

01 December 2022

Scientists at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard have developed a mechanically active gel-elastomer-nitinol tissue adhesive, otherwise known as MAGENTA. The implantable device functions as a soft robot, and it can be adhered to the outside of a muscle. When an electrical charge is applied to the device, a spring inside made from nitinol (a shape memory

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robot, cleaning, ocean, river, water

Robots are cleaning the ocean, but they need help!

29 November 2022

Robots are cleaning out the oceans. But as Eric Johansson discovers, while they’re making a small impact where they are operating, their real value comes from influencing politicians. Robots are cleaning our oceans, harbours and rivers. However, as COP26 draws closer, the innovators behind these nautical drones and trash interceptors say that no matter how much they clean, it’s only politicians who can make a real change.

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earbuds, baby, hearing, hearing test

Earbuds for accessible newborn hearing test

24 November 2022

Researchers at the University of Washington have developed a low-cost hearing test for newborns. Traditionally, the equipment for such testing is quite expensive. As newborns cannot let us know if they can hear something, the test is based on creating a

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knee, training, knee replacement system, knee replacement

Knee replacement system aims to provide cruciate retaining

22 November 2022

Exactech has obtained 510(k) clearance for its TriVerse primary knee replacement system from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

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blood vessels, vessels, electrospun

Electrospun construct mimics elasticity of blood vessels

17 November 2022

Researchers at the University of Sydney in Australia have developed an electrospun blood vessel replacement. The material contains tropoelastin, a natural precursor for elastin, a key component of blood vessel walls. Elastin is present in concentric

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CGM system, CGM systems, diabetes

Diabetes devices: Easing the burden of care for women

15 November 2022

Diabetes is a global health problem, with over 199 million women living with the condition, a figure that is expected to rise to 313 million by 2040. Understanding, accessing and managing diabetes

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Antibiotics, susceptibility

Antibiotic susceptibility new method testing

10 November 2022

Scientists at Nara Institute of Science and Technology in Japan have come up with a method to rapidly determine the antibiotic

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dental, surgery, robotic, machine

Neocis raises $40M for dental surgical robot

08 November 2022

Robot-assisted dental surgery technology developer Neocis announced today that it completed an oversubscribed financing round worth $40 million.

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Neuron, dishbrain, neurons

Scientists teach neurons to play pong

03 November 2022

Scientists at Cortical Labs in Melbourne, Australia, along with international collaborators, have developed “DishBrain”, which is essentially a collection of neurons in a dish that have demonstrated learning and, incredibly, can play the classic computer game Pong.

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atrial fibrillation, LAOOS, LAOO, heart, heart rate

LAAO lowers the risk of heart issues

01 November 2022

Researchers are to investigate the safety and efficacy of performing left atrial appendage occlusion in patients at high risk for atrial fibrillation (AF) who are undergoing cardiac surgery to prevent future stroke.

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Spirometer, Portable,Digital,Spirometer,,Blowing,Test,For,Lungs,,Forced,Expiratory,Volume

Spirometer to be used at home is approved by the FDA

26 October 2022

1505The COVID-19 pandemic has put lung health firmly in our minds. For those with chronic lung diseases, such as asthma and COPD, an important way to keep track of lung health is to use a spirometer to measure how well air can move in and out of the

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Fluorescence Imaging System, tumour, tumor

Fluorescence Imaging System illuminates tumor depth

25 October 2022

Medical researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a fluorescence imaging technique that allows them to illuminate a tumor in situ and calculate its depth below the surface of the body. The technique could assist

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Surgery, heart

Surgery analysis compares two cardiac approaches

20 October 2022

An analysis of data from the Swedish Coronary Angiography and Angioplasty Registry (SCAAR) has shown that coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery was associated with a lower rate of mortality than percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in

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Fujifilm introduces EW10-VM01 for virtual scale function

Fujifilm introduces software for virtual scale function

18 October 2022

Fujifilm has introduced new software for real-time virtual scale function, designed to help endoscopists estimate the size of lesions in the colon.

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Artivion suspends clinical trial with mechanical aortic valve

Artivion suspends clinical trial with mechanical aortic valve

13 October 2022

The DSMB recommended stopping the clinical trial due to a lack of evidence for apixaban’s non-inferiority to warfarin.

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Conductive Cotton thread

Conductive cotton thread for wearable sensors

11 October 2022

Imperial College London researchers created a conductive cotton thread that can undergo a computerised embroidery process for incorporation into commercially produced textiles, such as t-shirts and face masks. The thread, called PECOTEX, can be used to

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Youth mental health: can digital tools contain the crisis?

Youth mental health: can digital tools contain the crisis?

06 October 2022

Mental health services are under unprecedented strain. Virtual therapy sessions and mental health apps are emerging to fill the gap. Two and a half years since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, we are still dealing with the fallout – not least the effect on

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knee, knee replacement, robotic system

Robotic system for knee replacement announcement

04 October 2022

Smith+Nephew (NYSE:SNN) today announced the first cases for revision knee replacement using the Cori surgical handheld robotics system.

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face mask, doctor, virus

Face Mask detects respiratory viruses, alerts user

29 September 2022

Scientists at Shanghai Tongji University in China have created a face mask that can alert the wearer to the presence of respiratory viruses in the surrounding environment, including the viruses behind COVID-19 and influenza. The mask includes aptamers,

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Smartphone camera, blood oxygen

Smartphone camera measures blood oxygen

27 September 2022

At the University of Washington a research team has developed a smartphone system that can measure blood oxygen levels. The technology uses the camera and flash of the phone to take the measurement, and the system is so easy to use that it may be well

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Digital pill, biosensor

The first drug with an embedded biosensor

22 September 2022

In 2017, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) broke ground by approving the first drug with an embedded biosensor to track its use. Proteus Health’s Abilify MyCite had an ingestible sensor that could track if a patient consumed the drug.

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Perfusion Machine Restores Donor Liver for Transplant

Perfusion Machine Restores Donor Liver for Transplant

20 September 2022

Clinical researchers at the University of Zurich in Switzerland have created a perfusion machine to store donor livers before transplant.

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Motion sensor

Motion sensors to detect age-related disease

15 September 2022

Researchers at the University of Bern in Switzerland have developed a motion tracking system that is intended to assist in detecting age-related disease in elderly people. The system could be installed in someone’s home or in assisted-living facilities,

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wearable track system

Wearable track system that can measure electrodermal activity

13 September 2022

Researchers at New York University have created a wearable track system that can measure electrodermal activity, a property of the skin that is influenced by mental states, such as stress or excitement.

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eye sight, eyes, eye, contacts

Bioengineered cornea restores sight

06 September 2022

Scientists at Linköping University in Sweden have developed a collagen-based corneal implant that can restore sight to blind patients with corneal disease. The breakthrough could pave the way for such patients to receive effective treatment for corneal disease without requiring a corneal transplant from a human donor.

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onyx Frontier, coronary stent

Medtronic launches onyx Frontier coronary stent

02 September 2022

Medtronic has announced the launch of its latest generation drug-eluting coronary stent—Onyx Frontier—following recent CE mark approval. In a press release, Medtronic detailed that Onyx Frontier leverages the same stent platform as the Resolute Onyx drug-eluting stent (DES), with an enhanced delivery system “designed to improve deliverability and increase acute performance in the most challenging cases”.

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organs, ultrasound, imaging

Ultrasound imaging for 48 hours of imaging

30 August 2022

Engineers at MIT have created an ultrasound patch that can provide long-term ultrasound imaging of internal organs and structures. The device contains a rigid piezoelectric probe array and uses an underlying layer of elastomer-covered hydrogel in lieu of the gel applied to the skin during conventional ultrasound procedures. At just the size of a postage stamp, the

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Spray coating

Spray coating fights viruses and bacteria

23 August 2022

Researchers at the University of Sydney in Australia engineered a new spray coating for surfaces that provides long-term protection against bacterial and viral contamination. The material is intended as a long-term alternative to disinfectant sprays and combines hydrophobic properties with antimicrobial nanoparticles to reduce microbial contamination.

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Silicone heart model

Silicone heart model heart failure

16 August 2022

Scientists at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and partners at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin have developed a silicone heart model that is intended to model heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. The device, which

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Cardiac surgeons

Cardiac surgeons among signatories address gap

09 August 2022

Cardiac surgeons from North America, Europe and Latin America are among the signatories to a multidisciplinary group seeking to address what it describes as a “widening gap” between evidence and guideline recommendations in cardiovascular medicine.

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protocol supplement

Neovasc gains approval for protocol supplement

02 August 2022

Neovasc has announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a protocol supplement to the COSIRA-II investigational device exemption (IDE) trial.

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Nerves

Soft Bioresorbable Implant Controls Pain by Cooling Nerves

26 July 2022

A team of engineers at Northwestern University led by John Rogers, the person responsible for many advances in flexible electronics, created a drug-free implant that can control pain by cooling nerves. The soft implant is intended to be wrapped around a nerve during surgical procedures that would typically involve opioid-based analgesia afterwards. As a drug-free

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AI-powered robotic system

AI-powered robotic system performs experiments

21 July 2022

Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research in Japan have developed an AI-powered robotic system that can perform laboratory experiments in regenerative medicine, learn from the results, and perform iterative rounds of experimentation to achieve a certain goal.

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Teeth

Magnetic Microrobots to Brush and Floss Teeth

19 July 2022

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a technique to manipulate magnetic microrobots into bristle and string shaped-structures that can brush and floss teeth. The iron oxide nanoparticle-based microrobots also activate hydrogen peroxide to release bacteria-killing free radicals to further target bacterial

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cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular disease can be reduced with new treatment

14 July 2022

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended the use of VAZKEPA (icosapent ethyl; Amarin) in adult statin-treated patients at high cardiovascular risk who have elevated triglycerides (≥150 mg/dL [≥ 1.7 mmol/L]), LDL-C levels >1.04 mmol/L (and ≤ 2.60 mmol/L) and established cardiovascular disease (CVD).1,2 The final guidance is expected to be available on 13 July 2022.

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Smart jumpsuit

Smart jumpsuit tracks motor development in children

12 July 2022

Researchers at the University of Helsinki in Finland created a smart jumpsuit that can track toddler movements. The idea is to closely monitor motor development and identify any issues early, allowing for earlier interventions. Issues with motor development can be related to wider neurodevelopmental problems, and so tracking a young child’s activity can provide a window

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strut stents

Thinner strut stents in patients with small vessels

07 July 2022

A subgroup analysis of the BIO-RESORT trial has shown a “trend towards better outcomes” with thinner strut stents in patients with small vessels (<2,5mm) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

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meta-bots

Manufactured Meta-Bots with medical potential

05 July 2022

Engineers at the University of California Los Angeles have developed “meta-bots,” which are fingernail sized robots that can move, sense, and navigate their environment. Strikingly, the robots are essentially ready for use when they emerge from the 3D printer, and consist of piezoelectric actuators that can

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Footwear

Self-Regulating Footwear for diabetic foot issues

30 June 2022

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science created footwear that can self-regulate the pressure distribution when a person walks, helping to avoid pain and friction that can lead to issues for people with diabetes. Patients with diabetes can have an abnormal gait, sometimes because of pain or numbness in the extremities, potentially leading to complications such as foot ulcers

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Cancer

RaDaR assay technology to track tumor-specific variants

28 June 2022

Inivata has reported positive data from a clinical study of its RaDaR assay to detect minimal residual disease (MRD) and recurrence in high-risk hormone receptor-positive (HR+) human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) breast cancer patients.

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Apple Watch

Apple Watch monitoring features for AFib, Parkinson’s cleared by FDA

23 June 2022

Apple received 510(k) clearance for a new feature for its smart watch that shows users an estimate of how frequently their heart rhythm shows signs of atrial fibrillation (AFib).

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Oil-based gels

Oil-based gels to help patients swallowing

21 June 2022

Researchers at MIT and Brigham and Women’s Hospital have developed a series of oil-based gels that are intended to help those with difficulty swallowing to take drugs orally. Some adults and many children have difficulty taking pills, and so developing other forms of medication for oral drugs is important. The gels could be particularly useful in low-resource

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Isolator Synergy Clamp

Isolator Synergy Clamp to treat drug-refractory patients

16 June 2022

AtriCure has announced that the first patient has been treated in the HEAL-IST trial, evaluating the safety and effectiveness of AtriCure’s Isolator Synergy Clamp for the treatment of drug-refractory patients diagnosed with inappropriate sinus tachycardia (IST). The first patient was treated by Mark LaMeir and Carlo de Asmundis at University Hospital Brussels, Brussels, Belgium.

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Agitated patients

Virtual Reality to train staff to deal with agitated patients

14 June 2022

Researchers at the National University of Singapore, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, have developed a virtual reality training system that lets healthcare staff learn how to deal with agitated or aggressive patients. Patients, particularly with mental health issues, can become angry and distressed, and learning to handle such patients both with empathy

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Embolic protection

Embolic protection device presented at EuroPCR 2022

09 June 2022

Filterlex Medical has announced results from a first-in-human (FIH) study demonstrating the safety, feasibility, and performance of the Captis device, a full-body embolic protection device that reduces risk of stroke and other complications during left-heart procedures.

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zwitterion polymer

Zwitterion polymer coating for implantable devices

07 June 2022

Researchers at the University of California Los Angeles have created a zwitterion polymer coating for in-dwelling medical devices, such as urinary catheters, that prevents microbes from adhering and creating troublesome biofilms. Recurrent infection and biofouling are a serious problem for such devices, leading to the overuse of antibiotics and the consequent rise of drug-resistant microbes.

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TAVI

TAVI was found to be non-inferior to surgery

02 June 2022

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) was found to be non-inferior to surgery for all-cause mortality at one year among patients aged 70 years or older with severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis and moderately increased operative risk according to findings of the UK TAVI trial, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) this month.

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Pacifier

Pacifier monitors electrolyte levels

31 May 2022

At Washington State University a team developed a smart pacifier that can provide continuous monitoring of electrolyte levels in saliva. The measurements could help to avoid twice daily blood draws for premature infants. Blood draws are currently routine practice to monitor for signs of dehydration, which can be dangerous for infants born prematurely.

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Support

Adept announces Prone Support product launch

26 May 2022

Adept Medical says it has responded to the call from interventional radiologists for a device to comfortably support and manage a patient in the prone position with the launch of its new Prone Support solution, which will be available from 23 May 2022.

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organ-on-a-chip

Organ-on-a-chip for personalised medicine

24 May 2022

Researchers at Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science developed an advanced organ-on-a-chip system that incorporates heart, bone, liver, and skin tissue in independent niches that are linked with simulated vascular flows. The system even includes immune cells that circulate within the simulated vasculature. The technology represents an advance in organ-on-a-chip systems as it allows scientists to study the effects of drugs or interventions on multiple organs simultaneously.

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atrial typical flutter

Acutus Medical finished enrolling patients in Atrial Flutter study

19 May 2022

Acutus Medical has completed patient enrolment in the company’s AcQForce Flutter Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) clinical trial. The trial aims to assess the safety and efficacy of the AcQBlate FORCE sensing ablation catheter and system for treating right atrial typical flutter.

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microneedle

Microneedle to track metabolism

17 May 2022

A team of researchers at the University of California San Diego created a wearable device that uses a disposable microneedle patch to continuously sample and analyse interstitial fluid. The wearable can measure glucose, alcohol, and lactate levels, all of which could be useful information for patients with diabetes.

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Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy device for heavy menstrual bleeding

12 May 2022

Channel Medsystems, a medtech company based in California, created the Cerene cryotherapy device for the treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding. Heavy menstrual bleeding can affect quality of life for many women, and the condition can be associated with abdominal pain, cramping, and tiredness.

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Bone growth

Bone growth stimulation device announced

10 May 2022

Orthofix announced today that it received FDA premarket approval (PMA) for its AccelStim bone healing therapy device. Lewisville, Texas-based Orthofix designed the AccelStim device to provide a safe and effective nonsurgical treatment for indicated fresh fractures and for fractures that have not healed (nonunions).

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Nanoparticle system Destroy Endometriosis Lesions

Nanoparticle system destroy Endometriosis Lesions

05 May 2022

Researchers at Oregon State University developed a nanoparticle system that can aid with the removal of endometrial lesions in a minimally invasive fashion. In endometriosis, endometrial tissue grows outside of the uterus, causing pain and affecting fertility. Surgery to remove these lesions is often unsuccessful and repeat surgeries are often required. The research team’s nanoparticle technology can aid in minimally invasively destroying such lesions.

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Neurovascular

Neurovascular technologies for stroke treatment

03 May 2022

Wallaby Medical has acquired German company phenox, including femtos, in a deal valued at nearly $543m (€500m), including milestone payments. Established in 2005, phenox offers a portfolio of neurovascular devices for the treatment of both ischemic and haemorrhagic strokes.

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IDE supplement

IDE supplement approved by FDA

28 April 2022

Virtual Incision announced today that it received an FDA investigational device exemption (IDE) supplement for its MIRA platform.

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Dengue Fever

Multiplex Immunoassay for Dengue Diagnosis

26 April 2022

Researchers at the University of Reading in the UK created a rapid multiplex immunoassay for the detection of Dengue fever. The technology, which the researchers call the Cygnus system, aims to provide improved sensitivity compared with lateral flow tests and improved convenience and speed compared with conventional lab tests.

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blood ammonia monitoring device

Blood ammonia monitoring device

21 April 2022

Versantis is set to receive nearly $508,753 (Sfr475,000) from Swiss national innovation agency Innosuisse for the development of a point-of-care (POC) device to monitor blood ammonia in liver disease patients.

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Compresion

New launched compression system for diseases

19 April 2022

Koya Medical announced today that it commercially launched its Dayspring active compression system in the U.S.

Oakland, California-based Koya designed the wearable Dayspring compression system to treat lymphedema and venous diseases in the lower extremities. It features a soft, breathable mesh garment with Koya’s proprietary Flexframe — spring-like segments for delivering compression — technology.

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monitoring device

Monitoring device with data in fainting, TAVR patients

14 April 2022
  • iRhythm Technologies has presented new data on its Zio wearable cardiac monitoring device at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) 71st Annual Scientific Session & Expo, building the clinical case for its devices.
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Heart

SafeCross transseptal balloon gets first commercial use

12 April 2022

East End Medical has announced the first commercial use of its SafeCross transseptal radiofrequency (RF) puncture and steerable balloon introducer system. The system is designed to provide a predictable and safe solution for performing electrophysiology and structural heart interventions requiring left atrial access, the company said in a press release.

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baby deafness

New genetic test to prevent deafness in babies

07 April 2022

The new test finds a gene that can result in permanent hearing loss in babies treated with a common antibiotic.

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Ultrasound transducer

Ultrasound Transducer for intracranial applications

05 April 2022

Researchers at the University of California San Diego created an ultrasound transducer that is intended to provide safer ultrasound treatment when working inside the brain.

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lungs

Magnetic tentacle robot travels into lungs

31 March 2022

Researchers at the University of Leeds in the UK have created a magnetic “tentacle robot” that is just 2 mm in diameter, which they hope will be able to navigate through some of the smallest airways in our lungs. At present, a bronchoscope is used to investigate the lungs, but this cannot pass into very narrow airways without an additional catheter attachment.

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Partnership

Partnership on AI and digital pathology

29 March 2022

The partnership will bring the power of Ibex’s clinical-grade AI algorithms into Dedalus’ end-to-end digital pathology solution. This will benefit pathologists and patients through enhanced quality of diagnosis, at speed.

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Brain Scan

Helmet Enhances MRI Brain Scans

24 March 2022

A team of engineers and radiologists at Boston University created a helmet that can dramatically improve MRI scans of the brain. The device consists of a series of magnetic metamaterial resonators that significantly boost MRI performance. This results in crisper images that can be obtained at twice the speed of a normal scan. The breakthrough may allow clinicians to obtain useful images from low-field MRI scanners, potentially expanding the accessibility of brain scans to people in low-resource regions of the world.

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monitoring heart

Reduced waiting list due to monitoring device

22 March 2022

Hospitals in England are trialling a new monitoring device that patients wear at home to help improve and speed up the diagnosis of irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmia).

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Vascular

New vascular contrast for clearer imaging

17 March 2022

Researchers at Johns Hopkins developed a new imaging technique that allows them to view the vasculature of experimental animals in great detail. Research into a variety of conditions, from vascular disease to cancer, relies on acquiring images of the vasculature in animals, with a variety of imaging techniques available.

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Fingertip

Fingertip sensor lets prostheses feel applied force

15 March 2022

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Germany have created a fingertip sensor that allows a robot, including a robotic prosthesis, to very sensitively gauge how much force is applied to it. The system is based on a camera that is mounted inside the rubbery robot finger.

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Spinal

Spinal implant to enhance bone growth

10 March 2022

Intelligent Implants, a medtech company based in Cork, Ireland, has developed the SmartFuse TLIF cage, a spinal implant intended to enhance bone healing and reduce rates of non-union following spinal fusion surgery. The implant is equipped with electrodes that are designed to enhance bone growth, as well as provide a means of monitoring bone healing.

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Bloodpressure

Humanoid robot measures blood pressure

08 March 2022

Researchers at Simon Fraser University in Canada unveiled a humanoid robot that can measure blood pressure by touching a patient’s chest. The robot uses sensors on its fingertips to perform the measurements. Inspired by blood-sucking leeches, the dry electrode sensors infer blood pressure by combining electrocardiogram (ECG) and photoplethysmogram (PPG) readings, although happily, they don’t suck blood.

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Smarthphone

Blood clotting test on a smartphone

03 March 2022

Researchers at the University of Washington have developed smartphone-based technology that can allow someone to perform a blood clotting test at home. The technology is low-cost and easy to use. The test involves placing a drop of blood into a plastic attachment that can be viewed by a smartphone camera. The smartphone then vibrates the blood, and the camera can detect when the blood has clotted. The approach provides an inexpensive and convenient blood testing option for patients who are taking anti-coagulants.

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ECG

The slimmest personal ECG card created

01 March 2022

A couple of weeks ago, AliveCor, a leading innovator in the FDA-cleared personal electrocardiogram (ECG) technology space, announced the launch of the KardiaMobile Card.

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Machine learning process on hip fractures outperforms

24 February 2022

Two convolutional neural networks (CNNs) developed at the University of Bath were able to identify and classify hip fractures from X-rays with a 19% greater degree of accuracy and confidence than hospital-based clinicians, in results published this week in Nature Scientific Reports.

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Medical tablet

Digestive breath tester launched for gastrointestinal conditions

22 February 2022

Anyone suffering from ongoing digestive issues such as SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) and IBS can use this pocket-size device at home to measure and monitor their digestion in real time to help better manage their digestive health.

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Brain

Electricity treatment for brain cancer receives backing

17 February 2022

Brain Tumours are the number one killer cancer for children and adults below 40 and took away notable people such as Dame Tessa Jowell, US Senator John McCain, British football player Paul Mariner and actor Paul Ritter, and 4yo Grace Kelly. Recently, Tom Parker, singer of The Wanted, has been receiving treatment for an inoperable tumour.

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Robot

Laparoscopic robot performs first autonomous surgery

15 February 2022

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University developed and now successfully tested the Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot (STAR), a self-guiding surgical robot that can perform challenging laparoscopic procedures in gastrointestinal surgery, including intestinal anastomosis.

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Low-Field MRI for New Imaging Possibilities, Fewer X-rays

10 February 2022

Researchers at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center are using a new low-field MRI system that may expand the capabilities of MRI for patients with implanted devices, patients who require lung imaging, and obese patients. The system, which was developed in a collaboration between Siemens and Ohio State, has a magnetic field strength of 0.55 Tesla, which is low when compared with the 1.5 or 3.0 Tesla systems that are typically used. The low field strength increases the potential of the system for lung imaging, which could help patients to avoid the radiation associated with repeated X-rays, and for imaging in situations where the implanted pacemakers or defibrillators present are not safe under magnetic resonance.

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New sensor system developed for COVID-19 detection

08 February 2022

Phillips-Medisize, a Molex company and specialist in drug delivery, diagnostic and medtech devices, is collaborating with Dallas-based healthcare start-up SOTECH Health to accelerate the development of a breath-sensor system that detects COVID-19 in less than 30 seconds.

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MIT team working on all-in-one diabetes app

03 February 2022

MIT engineers are working on an app that identifies and quantifies food content, which can aid in carbohydrate counting for people with diabetes.

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Distalmotion closes financing to fast-track surgical robots’ adoption

01 February 2022

Medical equipment manufacturer Distalmotion has raised $90m in a funding round led by Revival Healthcare Capital to accelerate the commercialisation of its surgical robot, Dexter, across the world.

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Employees say Intuitive, Boston Scientific, J&J, Medtronic are among the best places to work in 2022

27 January 2022

Intuitive Surgical, Boston Scientific, Johnson & Johnson and Medtronic were recently named by Glassdoor as Best Places to Work in 2022 based on employee reviews.

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Labcorp’s OmniSeq selects GenomOncology Pathology for tumour treatment

25 January 2022

Labcorp’s OmniSeq has selected GenomOncology (GO) Pathology Workbench to support the analysis of a genomic and immune profiling test, OmniSeq INSIGHT, for solid tumours.

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Stryker CEO Lobo talks success of Wright Medical merger

Stryker CEO Lobo talks success of Wright Medical merger

20 January 2022

CEO Kevin Lobo has a lot to be excited about at Stryker — the world’s largest orthopedic device company.

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amendment IVDR transitional provisions

MedTech Europe welcomes proposal to amend IVDR transitional provisions

18 January 2022

MedTech Europe has welcomed the adoption of the European Commission’s Proposal to amend the transitional provisions of the new EU In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices Regulation (IVD Regulation).

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COVISTIX

Sorrento Therapeutics’ COVISTIX Covid-19 test detects Omicron variant

13 January 2022

Sorrento Therapeutics has announced that the initial testing of its COVISTIX Covid-19 virus rapid antigen detection test showed its ability to detect Omicron besides the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and other major variants of concern.

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FDA grants 510(k) clearance for Sight Sciences’ TearCare System

11 January 2022

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted 510(k) clearance for Sight Sciences’ TearCare System to treat meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), which causes dry eye disease (DED).

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FDA issues draft guidance for transitioning medical devices

06 January 2022

The FDA is proposing guidance that it give medical device makers about half a year’s notice before terminating emergency use authorizations post-pandemic.

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Microbix expands QAPs portfolio with new PCR-test control

04 January 2022

Microbix Biosystems has expanded its Quality Assessment Products (QAPs) portfolio with the introduction of the new Multiplex Respiratory PCR-Test Control.

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UofL Health deploys paige AI-enabled cancer detection software suite

30 December 2021

The University of Louisville (UofL) Health in the US state of Kentucky has deployed a complete suite of Paige artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled digital pathology software in a bid to enhance cancer diagnosis services.

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Nanotransfection device for tissue reprogramming

28 December 2021

Genetic modification offers huge potential in treating a wide variety of conditions, but the devil is in the details. Previously explored methods to deliver genes into cells, such as using viral vectors, have been connected with safety issues. As such, the potential of gene therapy has not yet been fully realised. Technological advances may offer us safer and more effective ways to deliver genes into the body.

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PerkinElmer introduces new test kit to detect Covid-19 variants

23 December 2021

PerkinElmer has introduced its new NEXTFLEX Variant-Seq SARS-CoV-2 Kit v2 for research use only (RUO) to boost SARS-CoV-2 variants detection.

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Is technology changing the patient-doctor dynamic?

21 December 2021

Like practically every industry, healthcare is steadily adopting technology to improve its operations, and Covid-19 has only accelerated the process. The widespread adoption of telemedicine by doctors and GPs, for example, has reduced disruption to medical diagnosis and treatment during the pandemic – but does this move towards tech-focused healthcare always benefit patients?

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Europe is seeing a hiring boom in medical industry cybersecurity roles

16 December 2021

Europe was the fastest growing region for cybersecurity hiring among medical industry companies in the three months ending September.

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Counterfeit medical devices: on the rise during Covid-19?

14 December 2021

In March 2020, as Covid-19 spread around the world, many essential medical products fell into short supply. Surgical masks, and other PPE, were particularly hard to come by, with existing supply chains buckling under this unprecedented strain.

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Elizabeth Holmes reportedly expresses remorse in criminal fraud trial

09 December 2021

Elizabeth Holmes reportedly revealed some regret over her handling of business as the ex-Theranos CEO took the stand again in a criminal fraud trial.

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A new wireless electronic sensor to monitor bone health

07 December 2021

Engineers and orthopedic specialists at the University of Arizona built an ultra-thin wireless sensor that is designed to monitor bone health over long periods of time. The battery-free device is intended to measure a variety of physiological parameters, such as temperature and bone strain, and could be useful for patients with osteoporosis or to monitor healing and guide rehabilitation after a fracture. The device is affixed to the bone surface using a calcium adhesive, which encourages the bone to grow and fuse with the device surface for long-term implantation.

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3D images of bacteria for antibiotic susceptibility testing

02 December 2021

Researchers at the University of Connecticut have developed a highly sensitive imaging sensor that can rapidly and accurately monitor bacterial growth. The technique involves shining laser light through a bacterial sample and taking images at multiple orientations, before reconstructing the diffracted light patterns, to produce a 3D image of the bacterial colony. These 3D images provide significant detail about the growth and characteristics of bacteria, and could be very helpful in rapidly identifying which antibiotics are most effective at killing them.

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MYND Diagnostics to assess MAP biomarker for Multiple Sclerosis

30 November 2021

MYND Life Sciences’ subsidiary MYND Diagnostics has begun a clinical study on the use of its proprietary biomarker test in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) diagnostics.

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Vicarious Surgical details its regulatory plans with FDA

25 November 2021

Vicarious Surgical (NYSE:RBOT) announced in its quarterly earnings report that it set its FDA regulatory process in motion with a pre-submission.

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J&J to divide into consumer health and pharmaceutical businesses

23 November 2021

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has announced plans to spin off its Consumer Health unit from its Pharmaceutical and Medical Device business, creating two independent publicly traded companies.

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medical device

Revealed: the medical device companies leading the way in artificial intelligence

18 November 2021

Johnson & Johnson and GE are among the companies best positioned to take advantage of future artificial intelligence disruption in the medical device industry, our analysis shows.

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Philips

Philips augments cardiac AI diagnostic programs

16 November 2021

Following a multibillion-dollar acquisition late last year to grow its cardiac connected care franchise, Philips is continuing the effort with a new deal to take over Cardiologs, a French startup developing artificial-intelligence-powered diagnostics.

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Cloud hiring levels in the medical industry rose in August 2021

11 November 2021

The proportion of medical companies hiring for cloud related positions rose in August 2021, with 60.4% of the companies included in our analysis recruiting for at least one such position.

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England could begin to prescribe e-cigarettes as medical products

09 November 2021

E-cigarettes could soon be prescribed through the NHS to patients trying to quit smoking tobacco products, as part of radical plans to eliminate smoking in England by the end of the decade.

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Vaccine delivery device inspired by BBQ lighter

04 November 2021

A team at Georgia Tech tinkered together a battery-free electroporation device to deliver DNA vaccines, which is inspired by BBQ lighters. The details of the workings of the vaccine injector are described in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The electric ‘spark’ that ignites the gas flowing from a BBQ gas lighter has been repurposed to provide the power behind the electroporation. The battery-free piezoelectric sparking mechanism from a lighter is attached to a microneedle patch that acts as an array of electrodes. When the device is pressed against the skin, it initiates electroporation and delivery of DNA vaccines inside cells in the treated area.

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NUS researchers develop smart bandage to monitor chronic wounds

02 November 2021

Researchers at the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Health Innovation and Technology (iHealthtech) have collaborated with Singapore General Hospital’s clinical partners to develop a smart bandage for monitoring chronic wounds.

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coronary

How Abbott is advancing coronary imaging through AI

28 October 2021

Abbott’s combination of AI and OCT imaging could pave the way for coronary stent placement. X-ray imaging has typically aided the placement of coronary stents. To a degree, it’s worked, but Abbott officials believe there is a better option — one that offers more information about the blood vessel in question than seen before.

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patients

Integrating more medical devices helps patients and providers

26 October 2021

Many patients in critical care at hospitals are hooked up to monitors or ventilators that automatically collect a continuous stream of data. Data from these integrated medical devices are pulled into a platform that gives doctors, nurses and care teams insights for making decisions about their patients, automates their documentation, and manages device alarms, among other things.

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medtech

Medtech and the Internet of Medical Things

21 October 2021

With the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) market estimated to be worth $158.1 billion in 2022, how can medtech companies can get IoMT right from a business perspective and how they can use the opportunity to deliver more value to health care?

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EEG test

EEG test for early Alzheimer’s diagnosis

19 October 2021

Researchers at the University of Bath in the UK have developed an EEG test for Alzheimer’s disease. The technique involves measuring brain waves using an EEG cap while a person watches a screen with a series of flashing images. Taking just two minutes, the test quantifies a person’s ability to differentiate between images based on whether they have seen one of them previously. Subtle changes in brainwaves tell the researchers when someone remembers an image. The test could enable early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, potentially allowing for early treatment and better outcomes.

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LUMC

LUMC starts research with alternative painless mammogram

14 October 2021

Leids Universitair Medisch Centrum (LUMC) is the first hospital in The Netherlands that will start exams with the Mamma CT which will replace the mammogram. The new Mamma CT is able to take medical images of breast tissue much more comfortably, for instance for screening breast cancer. According to radiologists, this is a solution for women that experience too much pain from mammography. On October 12, the device will be put to use. 

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software

Neural signal software receives CE mark as Class I medical device

12 October 2021

The Wyss Center has received the CE mark Class I medical device for its Epios Cloud software. Epios Cloud is a web-based application for the online storage, processing, and review of neural signals, including the ultra-long-term data recorded by an emerging generation of devices for remote brain monitoring.

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wearables

Four ways to win the future of MedTech wearables

07 October 2021

Soaring demand for wearables has created a market saturated with the things—prompting an 18.1 percent year-over-year growth worldwide, according to Gartner. Much of that activity, Gartner reports, is driven by health tech, as more people watch their wellness from home amid COVID-19. Despite the momentum, consumers haven’t yet reached the apex of the health wearable adoption curve. Breakout innovations in biometric sensors and miniaturization point to an even bigger boom waiting just around the corner. As things heat up, new and incumbent companies are eager to capitalize on the trends. But which ones will win?

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medical

Advancing next generation medical products

05 October 2021

An aging population and the growing threat of emerging infectious viral diseases, such as COVID-19, mean that healthcare around the world is an extremely important issue, and is changing in dramatic and dynamic ways. To meet these changes, a new generation of specialized and sustainable medical material solutions is being born. Read on to learn more about how this industry is changing, and to explore an example of medical device innovation.

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future

The future of medical wire: developing smaller and smarter devices

30 September 2021

Primarily, there are two ways in which medical devices are changing for the future; they are getting smaller (and therefore less invasive) and they are getting smarter (and integrated into our digital age). For medical wire components, this means that manufacturers are demanding much finer wire that still has the appropriate strength and fatigue resistance, as well as requiring much more advanced sensing and transmitting capabilities.

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algorithm

Algorithm shown to detect those at high risk of atrial fibrillation

28 September 2021

An artificial intelligence (AI)-based machine learning (ML) algorithm developed by the Bristol Myers Squibb-Pfizer Alliance has been shown to help support identification of patients at high risk of atrial fibrillation (AF), as validated in both retrospective datasets and the PULsE-AI trial.

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funding

Funding for Ibex’s AI-based prostate cancer diagnostic

23 September 2021

The UK Government has announced funding for six new National Health Service (NHS) trusts in England that will take part in the clinical trial assessing Ibex Medical Analytics’ artificial intelligence (AI) technology to quickly detect prostate cancer.

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pacemakers

The problematic pull of pacemakers

21 September 2021

Magnetic interference with pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) has been well-documented for several years now. Patients are advised not to linger too long near security alarms in shops or wear clothing with magnetic fasteners over the chest, should this cause interfere with the devices inside them. While these circumstances are fairly easy to avoid, modern technology has brought in a new magnetic threat to pacemaker users: Qi charging.

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patient

A next-gen patient isolation pod

16 September 2021

Norwegian medical technology firm EpiGuard, established by clinicians at Oslo University Hospital in 2015, has now developed a patient isolation device that it says can help cut down on ambulance cleaning times – among other factors – to help ease the burden on healthcare systems.

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develop tests

Develop tests for detection of cancer mutation

14 September 2021

Illumina has entered a collaboration with Merck (MSD) to develop and market companion diagnostic (CDx) and research tests that would be used in identifying specific cancer mutations.

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bionic

Magnetic beads for more precise control of bionic limbs

09 September 2021

At MIT a team of engineers have developed a system that they claim will enhance a user’s control of a bionic limb. The technology consists of implantable magnetic beads and a series of sensors that can monitor their movement. When implanted within a muscle in a residual limb, pairs of the beads can provide information on muscle movement that the sensors can relay to a prosthetic, potentially controlling its movements more precisely than existing electromyography systems.

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tortuous

Steerable catheter to navigate tortuous blood vessels in brain

07 September 2021

A team at University of California San Diego invented a way to make steerable catheters that can more precisely navigate the tortuous architecture of the brain vasculature. The device was bioinspired by delicate structures found in nature, including flagella and insect legs, and uses principles from soft robotics to create a hydraulic steering system, which is encased within a tiny silicone rubber catheter. The UCSD researchers hope that the technology could allow clinicians to treat areas of vasculature that are currently out of reach.

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cartilage repair

Regenerative medicine to drive cartilage repair market

02 September 2021

Despite major hurdles limiting the adoption of some cartilage repair techniques, the pace of development is accelerating. Damage to joint cartilage can result in inflammation, lack of mobility, and chronic pain in affected joints. Regenerative approaches seek to repair damaged joint tissue to restore joint function and to eliminate pain and mobility issues.

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developing

Developing implantable AI for early detection and treatment of disease

31 August 2021

Scientists working in optoelectronics at Technische Universität Dresden say they have succeeded for the first time in developing a biocompatible implantable AI platform that classifies in real time healthy and pathological patterns in biological signals such as heartbeats, adding that it detects pathological changes even without medical supervision.

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robotic

Robotic scanner for automated eye imaging

26 August 2021

Researchers at Duke University created a robotic eye scanner that can detect signs of several eye diseases, including glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. The system includes several 3D cameras that track the location of the patient, who merely has to stand in front of the robot, while a robotic arm containing the scanning hardware tracks and scans the patient’s eyes. In less than a minute the system produces images that are as clear as those obtained by currently used technologies, which require a patient to use a head and chin rest to avoid any head movement.

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prostate

Blood test improves prostate cancer screening

24 August 2021

The Stockholm3 blood test developed by researchers at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden has been found to improve the prostate cancer screening process.

In a recent study published in The Lancet Oncology, researchers found that Stockholm3 can decrease the number of MRI scans required by around 33%, as well as preventing the identification of minor, low-risk tumours.

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personalized

3D-Printed implant for personalized knee realignments

19 August 2021

Researchers at the University of Bath in the UK created a framework for 3D printing personalized high-tibial osteotomy (HTO) plates, using a titanium alloy, for knee realignments in osteoarthritis patients. The plates should fit nearly perfectly when implanted thanks to the new approach. The researchers have also developed an improved surgical technique, the TOKA (Tailored Osteotomy for Knee Alignment), which they claim should improve the fit of the HTO on the knee and significantly speed up HTO surgery from two hours to approximately 30 minutes.

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ultrasound

Ultrasound patch monitors blood flow

17 August 2021

Researchers at the University of California San Diego created an ultrasound patch that can measure blood flow in vessels as deep as 14 cm within the body. The stretchy patch can be applied to the skin and may help clinicians to monitor and diagnose various conditions, including blockages that could cause an infarct. The patch contains an array of ultrasound transducers that can measure blood flow in vessels directly beneath it and the ultrasound beam can also be steered to assess vessels that are nearby, but not directly below.

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sensing wire

Sensing wire is changing the game for medical devices

12 August 2021

From accurate in vivo diagnostics to making therapeutic procedures safer than ever, sensing solutions in medical devices have revolutionized the way that we monitor our health – and it’s not just medical professionals seeing the difference.

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blockchain

Blockchain’s potential in the medical device industry

10 August 2021

Blockchain has been highly popularised by its core involvement in the cryptocurrency boom. Blockchain is a decentralised and secure method of storing and transferring data or information. The use of the technology outside of the finance sector and cryptocurrency is currently unpopular, but industry experts expect the technology to be fully embraced by other industries, including medical devices and healthcare. GlobalData estimates the blockchain market will be worth more than $200bn by 2030.

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brain

Researchers automate brain MRI image labeling

05 August 2021

Researchers from the School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences at King’s College London have automated brain MRI image labelling, needed to teach machine learning image recognition models, by deriving important labels from radiology reports and accurately assigning them to the corresponding MRI examinations. Now, more than 100,000 MRI examinations can be labelled in less than half an hour.

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titanium implant

3D-printed porous titanium implant for spine surgery

03 August 2021

NuVasive has commercially introduced its 3D-printed porous titanium implant, Modulus ALIF, for anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) procedures in some targeted international regions.

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blood-brain

Blood-brain barrier on a chip for neuro drug testing

29 July 2021

Researchers at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden, engineered a blood-brain barrier on a chip using human-derived stem cells. The device closely mimics the blood-brain barrier and allows the researchers to study its function and the effect of drugs without having to use experimental animals. By incorporating sensors, the chip can monitor barrier function in near real time.

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skin

‘Skin snaps’ and rapid tests for same-day cancer diagnosis

27 July 2021

The National Health Service (NHS) in the UK has announced an investment of £20m to expedite the rollout of ‘skin snaps’ and rapid tests for same-day cancer diagnoses.

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young people

Increasing sensitivity of FITs could identify young people with bowel cancer

22 July 2021

Increasing the sensitivity of a bowel cancer test used by GPs could help identify more cases of bowel cancer in young people with symptoms of the disease and ultimately save lives, new research co-authored by Bowel Cancer UK has found.

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chest strap

Chest strap system monitors severity of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

20 July 2021

Researchers at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain, have developed a system to monitor the severity of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), also known as chronic fatigue syndrome. The system includes a commercial chest strap sensor that measures heart rate variability and a paired app that collects, collates, and presents these data, allowing patients to monitor their condition and share information with their clinician.

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stroke

Viz.ai obtains CE mark for AI-based stroke care software

15 July 2021

Viz.ai has received CE mark to market its artificial intelligence (AI)-driven stroke care software, Viz LVO, in the European Economic Area.

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device

Student creates device to stop stab wound bleeding

13 July 2021

A student at Loughborough University in the UK has developed a device that quickly stops bleeding from knife stab wounds and could potentially save lives.

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spinal

Cambridge University team develops spinal implant to treat severe pain

08 July 2021

Researchers at the University of Cambridge, UK, have developed an inflatable spinal implant for the treatment of severe pain without invasive surgery. The device uses soft robotic fabrication methods along with ultra-thin electronics and microfluidics.

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symptom

AI symptom checking is reducing unnecessary health visits

06 July 2021

Artificial intelligence (AI) powered symptom checkers have undergone something of a renaissance over the past decade. Patients are often inclined to research their symptoms, sometimes before they even enquire about seeing a doctor. Instead of relying on so-called ‘Dr Google’ to determine the cause of their condition, AI symptom checkers can help give some impression of what might be wrong.

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insulin

Amalgam Rx obtains CE mark for basal insulin titration app

01 July 2021

Amalgam has obtained CE mark to market its insulin titration application, iSage Rx, and its white-labelled variants in the European region.

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researchers

Researchers create saliva-based Covid-19 test

29 June 2021

Researchers at the University of Strathclyde, Scotland, are creating a saliva-based biosensor Covid-19 test that is quick, low cost and can be produced in bulk.

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Cardiomatics

Cardiomatics on the way to better analysis of paediatric ECGs

24 June 2021

Physicians are increasingly using software to automatically evaluate Holter ECG signals in adult patients, but so far, no software has been developed for children. Cardiomatics and the Medical University of Warsaw are on the way to a breakthrough in paediatric cardiology.

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CE

Abbott obtains CE mark for steerable delivery system for LAA occlusion

22 June 2021

Abbott has obtained CE mark approval for its Amplatzer Steerable Delivery Sheath for left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion (closure) procedures to treat atrial fibrillation (AF) patients who are at increased risk of ischemic stroke.

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System

Philips’ endovascular system yields positive data in TOBA II BTK trial

17 June 2021

The implantable device offers continued treatment effect and progressive impact on quality of life in PAD and CLI patients. Royal Philips has reported positive two-year data from the Tack Optimized Balloon Angioplasty (TOBA) II below-the-knee (BTK) clinical trial of its dissection repair device, Tack Endovascular System (4F).

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Derma

Advanced Human Imaging’s Derma AI gains CE mark approval

15 June 2021

Derma AI can group 588 skin conditions into 133 categories, including all types of skin cancer. Advanced Human Imaging (AHI) has obtained a CE mark in the EU for its Derma AI integrated with the DermaScan for the dermatology artificial intelligence (AI) component in CompleteScan.

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NEC

NEC develops AI technology for Barrett’s neoplasia detection

10 June 2021

Trained with over one million Barrett’s oesophagus endoscopy images, the WISE VISION Endoscopy will be available in Europe soon. NEC Corporation has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) technology that can aid doctors in identifying neoplasia in Barrett’s oesophagus while performing endoscopic procedures.

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Preterm birth

Born too soon: novel device improves prediction of preterm birth

08 June 2021

Research carried out at the University of Sheffield into electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) has led to the creation of a device designed to improve the prediction of preterm birth at a fraction of the cost of current methods. The EIS device has been brought to the market by EveryBaby, a UK company backed by South Korean investors.

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Breast cancer

Mindpeak’s breast cancer cell detection software receives CE-IVD mark

03 June 2021

Mindpeak’s AI software for identification and quantification of breast cancer cells receives CE-IVD mark. Mindpeak has received CE-IVD mark for its artificial intelligence (AI)-based software, BreastIHC, which can identify and quantify breast cancer cells for primary diagnosis.

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Tomography

Philips unveils new spectral computed tomography device

01 June 2021

Philips unveils a new computed tomography system that offers spectral images for all patients to enable better diagnosis. Royal Philips has unveiled it’s Spectral Computed Tomography 7500, an intelligent system that offers spectral images for all patients to enable accurate diagnosis.

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CE Mark

One Drop obtains CE Mark for AI-based blood glucose predictions

27 May 2021

One Drop’s Blood Glucose Prediction Analysis Engine, which can estimate glucose levels of diabetic patients, gets CE Mark.

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HPV

BD’s HPV assay for at-home self-collection obtains CE mark

25 May 2021

BD receives CE mark for its at-home self-collection claim for BD Onclarity HPV Assay. Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) has received CE mark for its at-home self-collection claim for BD Onclarity HPV Assay for human papillomavirus (HPV) screening.

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Aortic stenosis

Medtronic receives CE mark for severe aortic stenosis treatment system

20 May 2021

Medtronic has received CE Mark for its Evolut PRO+ TAVI System in Europe to treat patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis.

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Heart Disease

NHS unveils 3D imaging technology to expedite heart disease diagnosis

18 May 2021

The National Health Service England (NHS) has unveiled a new technology called HeartFlow to quickly detect and treat people with suspected heart disease.

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University of Nottingham

University of Nottingham team develops new probe for disease diagnostics

13 May 2021

Researchers at the University of Nottingham in the UK have created an ultrasonic imaging system, which can be inserted into the human body for three-dimensional visualisation of cell abnormalities.

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CE mark

Abbott’s Covid-19 antigen test receives CE mark for use on children

11 May 2021

Abbott has received CE mark for the use of its Panbio COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test Device to detect the SARS-COV-2 virus in paediatric patients aged 15 years and below.

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Biopsy

Ultrasonic Biopsy Needle for Larger Tissue Samples

06 May 2021

Researchers at Aalto University in Finland have developed an ultrasonically actuated needle that can retrieve a large amount of tissue during a biopsy, without the pain and complications associated with using bigger needles. The technique could be very useful when clinicians need to obtain tissue samples for molecular tumor diagnostics, since obtaining high quality samples is crucial, given the expense of molecular profiling procedures. The technique may also help to reduce patient inconvenience associated with repeat biopsies because of an initial poor tissue sample.

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CE Mark

Avacta’s SARS-CoV-2 antigen test shows 98% clinical sensitivity in study

04 May 2021

Avacta has reported that data from the study of its AffiDX SARS-CoV-2 antigen lateral flow test showed a clinical sensitivity of 98% for Covid-19 samples.

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Catheter

Seigla Medical’s guide catheter extension obtains CE Mark

29 April 2021

Seigla Medical has received CE Mark for its LiquID Guide Catheter Extension, which can be used during coronary and peripheral vasculature interventions.

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Infusion

Medtronic unveils infusion set for diabetes in Europe

27 April 2021

Medtronic has unveiled its Extended infusion set, the first set that can be worn to deliver insulin for up to seven days, in select European countries.

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Baby

Incubators and innovators: tech transforming neonatal baby care

22 April 2021

Premature babies usually require an extended hospital stay after they’re born, where they need to be closely monitored to make sure they receive the best possible start in life. Caring for this uniquely vulnerable population has always been a challenge, but new technologies mean neonates are receiving better medical treatment than ever before. Chloe Kent rounds up the smart tech helping to keep a premature baby alive and healthy.

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Repair

Abbott obtains CE mark for tricuspid valve repair device

20 April 2021

Abbott has received CE Mark for its minimally invasive tricuspid heart valve repair device, TriClip Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Repair System, making it available for treating tricuspid regurgitation (TR) in Europe.

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Sensor

Gold Sensor Lives Under Skin for Months Measuring Drugs and Biomarkers

15 April 2021

Researchers at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in Germany have developed an implantable biosensor that can measure concentrations of various biomarkers and drugs in the body. Unlike many implantable devices, the sensor can reside in place under the skin for many months without being rejected by the body or losing its functionality. The system uses receptor-studded gold nanoparticles that change color when an analyte of interest binds to them. The researchers can detect this color change non-invasively from outside the body. The technique could lead to long-term biosensing technologies.

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Infection

Roche unveils EBV immunoassay panel to detect infection stages

13 April 2021

Roche has launched the Elecsys Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) panel, which consists of Elecsys EBV IgM, Elecsys EBV VCA IgG and Elecsys EBV EBNA IgG immunoassays, in countries accepting the CE Mark. The panel uses a single blood sample to identify antibodies specific to EBV at various stages of infection.

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Devices

Hearing aid aesthetics: how the appearance of devices can impact adherence

08 April 2021

The distinctly medical aesthetic of hearing aid devices can leave some users reluctant to wear them due to perceived stigma. Medical Device Network takes a closer look at the aesthetic alterations that can help boost patient adherence.

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covid

Scientists develop tool that could alter COVID-19 vaccine priority lists

06 April 2021

Scientists in Germany have developed a free online diagnostic tool that instantly analyses your risk of developing a severe case of COVID-19 – using personal health DNA data from providers like 23andMe, Ancestry, MyHeritage, and Genotek.

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Variants

UK trials new technology to detect known Covid-19 variants

01 April 2021

The UK Government has announced the trial of a technology that can quickly identify new Covid-19 mutations by showing whether positive test specimens contain known variants.

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Knee System

MicroPort sees increased adoption of Kinematic Alignment for knee system

30 March 2021

MicroPort Orthopedics has announced that it witnessed increased adoption of its Kinematic Alignment (KA) approach for the Evolution Medial-Pivot knee system to improve patient outcomes.

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Treatment

VR treatment launched to help needle-averse prepare for Covid vaccines

25 March 2021

A free UK NHS treatment plan using virtual reality (VR) has been launched for patients who have trypanophobia, or needle phobia. The treatment plan has been developed by Vita Health Group, with the three-dimensional, computer-generated environments themselves created by Psious, a VR platform for psychology and mental health.

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Pain

Neurostimulation and medical devices: a modern approach to long-term pain management

23 March 2021

Pain prevention and pain management has been a long-standing issue for the medical field, particularly for patients who are suffering from a chronic condition. Long-term drug dependency can lead to a number of side effects (such as problems with the liver), especially if doses need to be periodically increased to account for patients who have grown accustomed to the drug and no longer feel

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Navigation

Philips ClarifEye augmented reality surgical navigation system

18 March 2021

ClarifEye is an augmented reality (AR)-based surgical navigation system developed by health technology solutions company Royal Philips to assist minimally invasive spine surgeries in a hybrid operating room.

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Tomography

Disney characters will lend a hand to kids during MRI scans

16 March 2021

Radiologists in Europe could soon have help keeping children calm as they have MRI scans from Disney favourites like Micky Mouse, Winnie the Pooh and the Little Mermaid.

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Seizures

Scientists develop tool to locate precise area of epileptic seizures

11 March 2021

Scientists at the Human Brain Project have developed a computational tool to locate the areas in a patient’s brain where epilepsy seizures emerge. Now, the team is using EBRAINS to further boost the accuracy with high resolution brain atlas data.

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Test

Germany approves Roche’s SARS-CoV-2 antigen test for at-home use

09 March 2021

The German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) has granted special approval to Roche’s SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen Test using a simple nasal swab for patient self-testing in the country.

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Humanitarian

FDA gives ankle implant humanitarian nod

04 March 2021

Additive Orthopedics yesterday said it received FDA humanitarian device exemption for its Patient Specific Talus Spacer to treat avascular necrosis of the talus. The Patient Specific Talus Spacer will be available as a humanitarian use device to treat avascular necrosis of the ankle joint, which is a serious condition that causes the death of bone tissue stemming from a lack of blood supply to the area.

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System

Laipac and UAE companies to unveil Covid-19 antigen test system

02 March 2021

Laipac Technology has entered a partnership with UAE-based companies YAS Pharmaceuticals and Pure Health to launch the world’s first artificial intelligence (AI)-based Covid-19 antigen test system.

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Laser

Robotic laser bone-cutting technology approved in Europe

25 February 2021

A laser beam removes the bone precisely in layers, leaving no residue.

AOT AG (AOT) has obtained CE Mark certification for the world’s first contact-free, robotic laser bone cutter. The patented CARLO system developed by the Swiss MedTech startup AOT cuts bones precisely and contact-free with a specialized laser using a robot. CARLO stands for Cold Ablation Robot-guided Laser Osteotome.

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3D-printed

Accessible 3D-printed medical diagnostic devices

23 February 2021

A recent study by a team of scientists at the University of Bristol describes a method for the rapid development of complex microfluidic devices made of polymers using 3D-printed interconnecting microchannel scaffolds and open-source resources developed by the team. Devices with intricate interlacing channels, the width of a human hair, that move minuscule amounts of liquids, and can be used to diagnose and treat complex diseases, can now be made using a cost-effective, quick, and reliable method.

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Severity

AI tool developed to predict severity of COVID-19 in patients

18 February 2021

A group of doctors and researchers from Gustave Roussy, Université Paris-Saclay, the Bicêtre Hospital – AP-HP, the French Institute for Research in Computer Science and Automation (INRIA) and the start-up Owkin have developed a new AI-based severity score that can predict outcomes for COVID-19 patients as soon as they are diagnosed.

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Tablet

Philips unveils Medical Tablet for patient monitoring during emergencies

16 February 2021

Philips is releasing a computer tablet designed to provide easy access to patient information in various emergency environments without a difficult implementation.

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knee

FDA clears J&J’s robotic surgery system for total knee replacements

11 February 2021

Johnson & Johnson’s DePuy Synthes division has received FDA clearance for its robotic-assisted orthopaedic surgical platform for total knee replacements.

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implant

Osteopore and UMC+ develop bone implant solution

09 February 2021

Singapore company Osteopore International, in partnership with Maastricht University Medical Centre (UMC+) in the Netherlands, has developed a new bone implant solution that prevents leg amputations.

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pathology

AI cancer pathology developer Paige nets $100M in venture capital funding

04 February 2021

After scoring two European approvals last month for its artificial-intelligence-powered cancer pathology platforms, Paige has secured $100 million in new funding to boost its development of biomarkers as clinical applications.

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robotic surgery

Intuitive, J&J, Medtronic and Zimmer talk robotic surgery ambitions: JPM21

02 February 2021

Medtech majors used this week’s virtual J.P. Morgan healthcare conference to talk up their plans in the hot, increasingly competitive robotic surgery sector.

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Hologic

Hologic kicks off 2021 with acquisitions in breast cancer market

28 January 2021

Women’s health medtech specialist Hologic has hit the ground running in the new year, making two acquisitions in the first week of 2021.

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Philips

Philips to buy medical device integrator Capsule Technologies for $635M

26 January 2021

Philips has moved to acquire Capsule Technologies—a provider of data platforms that aim to connect all of the medical devices and record systems within a hospital—to help build out its integrated care and vital sign monitoring solutions.

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UK

The UK has finally left the EU: what does this mean for medtech?

21 January 2021

Four tumultuous years on from the 2016 referendum, the UK has finally left the EU, governed by the terms of a deal reached just one week before the Brexit transition period ended on 31 December.

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CorWave

French medtechs Carmat, CorWave advance heart failure device plans

19 January 2021

The two French companies are targeting different populations of the heart failure market. CorWave is developing a twist on the LVADs sold by companies including Abbott and Medtronic.

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Self-test

UK authorises 30 minute self-test kit to detect asymptomatic Covid-19 cases

14 January 2021

The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued exceptional use authorisation for an NHS Test and Trace Covid-19 Self-Test device.

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Health Pass

IBM links with Salesforce to offer digital COVID-19 vaccine passports

12 January 2021

In the final act of the 2011 film “Contagion,” people wore bar-coded wristbands to prove they had been inoculated against the deadly, pandemic virus.

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Pathology

Pathology AI developer Paige scores CE marks in breast, prostate cancers

07 January 2021

Digital pathology developer Paige has received two European approvals for its artificial-intelligence-powered diagnostic platforms in breast and prostate cancers.

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neuroscience

Challenges of fusing robotics and neuroscience

05 January 2021

Combining neuroscience and robotic research has gained impressive results in the rehabilitation of paraplegic patients. A research team led by Prof. Gordon Cheng from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) was able to show

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CE Mark

NOWDiagnostics Covid-19 antibody fingerstick test obtains CE Mark

30 December 2020

NOWDiagnostics has received Conformité Européene (CE) Mark approval for its ADEXUSDx COVID-19 ‘antibody fingerstick’ Test, a rapid serology, self-contained assay.

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Acutus

Acutus Medical expands heart treatment portfolio in Europe with new CE marks

28 December 2020

Acutus Medical has received two CE marks this week for heart treatment devices and access tools and has begun their European commercial launch.

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LivaNova

LivaNova to exit heart valve business via €60M carve-out deal

22 December 2020

After restructuring its heart valve operations and culling one of its programs last year, LivaNova has decided to sell off

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iRhythm

iRhythm gains UK support for EKG system while awaiting key final rule from CMS

17 December 2020

iRhythm has capitalized on the increased demand for remote patient monitoring technologies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Ovizio

My first month at… Ovizio

15 December 2020

The “My first month at…” column will elaborate on the experiences of professionals who recently started their new job in the Medical Devices industry.

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stress

Virtual reality helps measure vulnerability to stress

11 December 2020

We all react to stress in different ways. A sudden loud noise or flash of light can elicit different degrees of response from people, which indicates that some of us are more susceptible to the impact of stress than others.

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Breast cancer

ICR scientists announce molecular clock test to track breast cancer spread

09 December 2020

Scientists at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in the UK and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust have announced a new blood test to watch breast cancer’s ‘molecular clock’.

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Blackford Analysis

Bayer signs AI imaging platform pact with Blackford Analysis

07 December 2020

Bayer strengthened its ties with Scottish artificial intelligence developer Blackford Analysis to build a one-stop shop for applications in medical imaging.

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Living With

Queen Mary partner with healthtech startup Living With to help Rheumatoid Arthritis patients

04 December 2020

The project will develop an AI driven product to help clinicians optimise treatment of RA patients based on health data they have submitted via Living With’s remote monitoring app.

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Union

MedTech Europe backs proposed EU Health Union but flags potential hangups

02 December 2020

The early weeks of the coronavirus outbreak exposed a lack of unity in the European Union. When Italy, the first EU country to suffer a major COVID-19 outbreak,

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Tomography

GE Healthcare acquires Swedish developer of CT image-boosting photon detectors

30 November 2020

GE Healthcare has moved to acquire a Swedish startup and its next-generation photon-counting technology, which the medtech manufacturer says could help expand the clinical reach of its CT scanners.

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mesothelioma

Novocure nets European approval for its Tumor Treating Fields therapy in mesothelioma, raises cash for commercial expansion

27 November 2020

About a year and a half after receiving approval from the FDA as a first-line treatment for mesothelioma, Novocure has secured a CE mark for its Tumor Treating Fields therapy in Europe.

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Qiagen

Qiagen unveils multiplex test for SARS-CoV-2 in Europe

25 November 2020

Netherlands-based Qiagen has launched NeuMoDx Flu A-B/RSV/SARS-CoV-2 Vantage Test in Europe to identify and differentiate between common seasonal respiratory infections and Covid-19.

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Glympse Bio

Glympse Bio clears first-in-human safety study of its injectable biosensors

23 November 2020

Diagnosing nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)—the excessive buildup of fats in the liver that can lead to liver cancer, failure and the need for a transplant—has always been a difficult prospect.

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Deep Genomics

Deep Genomics nabs a CBO from Synlogics as it looks to ramp up partnering

20 November 2020

It’s been a busy year for Deep Genomics. Since scoring $40 million in January, the Toronto-based biotech has been identifying new drug targets across multiple disease areas, turning up many more prospects than it could pursue on its own.

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Antigen

BD nets Dutch government contract for over 9M rapid antigen tests for COVID-19

18 November 2020

BD has secured a purchase order from the Netherlands to provide millions of rapid COVID-19 antigen tests to the country, marking its first government contract in Europe since the diagnostic received a CE mark in September.

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telehealth

Digital stethoscope maker Eko nets $65M to develop home telehealth offerings

16 November 2020

As the use of telehealth continues to surge—promising a way to deliver distanced care in spite of the coronavirus, and potentially a new normal in a post-pandemic world

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Alzheimer’s

Could a language test diagnose Alzheimer’s? IBM is laying the groundwork

13 November 2020

Doctors use brain scans and spinal taps to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease, but these methods can be expensive, invasive and usually aren’t done until after a person has shown signs of cognitive decline—at which point it can be difficult to head off the progression of the disease.

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contact-tracing

Scottish server to allow cross-border contact-tracing

11 November 2020

A Scottish federated server will now allow the various UK Covid-19 contact-tracing apps to become interoperable, tackling one of the key criticisms levelled at the technologies since they began to launch.

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Exact Sciences

Exact Sciences snaps up liquid biopsy company Thrive in $2.15B deal

09 November 2020

Exact Sciences is adding early cancer detection to its pipeline through its buyout of Thrive Earlier Detection for up to $2.15 billion in cash and stock. The deal comes just three months after Thrive raised $257 million in venture dollars to push its liquid biopsy test into a registrational trial.

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ICU

How technology is giving ICU patients a voice

06 November 2020

For physically weak, voiceless and ventilated patients, communication can be extremely difficult. To help such patients overcome this barrier, a team of specialists developed myICUvoice – a symptom management and communication tool for ICU patients. We take a look at how this technology and others are changing ICU experience for patients.

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Fibroids

Fibroids treatment without the fuss

04 November 2020

Designed to provide a less invasive alternative to hysterectomies and myomectomies, Gynesonics’s Sonata System uses radiofrequency energy to remove fibroids. Natalie Healey speaks to Gynesonics’ medical director David Toub about what the tech could mean for women who experience heavy menstrual bleeding.

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singe-use

Debate: will Covid-19 bring a return to single-use medical devices?

02 November 2020

In a pre-Covid-19 world, medical device manufacturers had begun to explore the potential of multi-use medical devices in a bid to boost sustainability efforts and reduce unnecessary waste in the sector. But, as the medical industry grapples to find ways to prevent the spread of contaminants, will single-use products regain favour? Chris Lo and Chloe Kent debate the issue of single use products amid global efforts to reduce virus transmission.

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Neocis

Neocis raises $72M from DFJ, Fred Moll, others for its dental surgery robot

30 October 2020

Neocis has raised $72 million in funding to help support its groundbreaking robotic surgery system for use in dental implant procedures.

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wearable

Wearable wonderland: how tech is tackling Covid-19

28 October 2020

From symptom signalling and social distancing, to contact tracing and controlling face-touching, wearable devices are being harnessed in all sorts of novel fashions to help combat the Covid-19 pandemic. Chloe Kent rounds up the best and brightest.

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Olympus

Olympus to roll out colonoscopy AI for spotting lesions, polyps in real time

26 October 2020

Olympus has begun rolling out an artificial-intelligence-powered platform for its new endoscope, designed to automatically spot suspicious lesions and polyps during a colonoscopy in real time.

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LivaNova

LivaNova study shows safer outcomes from its sutureless aortic heart valve

23 October 2020

LivaNova delivered new data from its sutureless aortic heart valve, showing fewer complications and stronger clinical outcomes compared to traditional implants built on a stent frame.

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software

Cambridge researchers use VR software to take a tour inside of their own cells

21 October 2020

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed software that takes super-resolution microscope scans and transforms them into a virtual, 3D worlds, allowing scientists to don a virtual reality headset and take an interactive tour of individual cells and proteins.

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Portable

Portable sequencing is reshaping genetics research

19 October 2020

Portable sequencing is making it possible for biologists to perform DNA analysis anywhere in the world. How is this technology reshaping the way they work?

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Abbott

Abbott nets European approval for new FreeStyle Libre glucose sensor

16 October 2020

Abbott has secured a European approval for the newest generation of its FreeStyle Libre continuous glucose monitor—which the company describes as the world’s smallest and thinnest diabetes sensor, with a disc about the size of two pennies.

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Medtronic

Medtronic to expand dialysis access position with Avenu Medical buyout

14 October 2020

Although peripheral and venous technologies have historically been among the smallest contributors to Medtronic Cardiac and Vascular Group, produccts for ESRD patients are on the rise as prevalence and government attention to the disease grows.

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System

LabCorp receives FDA green light for a new type of COVID-19 test using fewer reagents

12 October 2020

LabCorp has received a new emergency authorization from the FDA for a COVID-19 test that does not require the use of chemical reagents to free the coronavirus’s RNA from a sample.

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migraine

Salvia Bioelectronics migraine therapy may offer alternative to drugs

09 October 2020

Dutch medtech startup Salvia Bioelectronics has raised €26m in a Series A funding round toward the development of its neurostimulation treatment for chronic migraine. As the demand for chronic migraine treatments grows, a new generation of therapies could end up in high demand.

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Smith+Nephew

Smith+Nephew to acquire Integra LifeSciences’ Extremity Orthopedics

07 October 2020

British medical technology company Smith+Nephew has agreed to acquire the Extremity Orthopaedics business of Integra LifeSciences in a deal valued at $240m.

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self

Power up: self-charging medical devices could be on the way

05 October 2020

Self-powered technologies could transform medical devices, making them safer and more convenient for patients. We speak to Peter Harrop from IDTechEx about energy-generating technologies that could make changing a battery a thing of the past.

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patent

CardieX secures patent in Europe for blood pressure technology

02 October 2020

CardieX subsidiary ATCOR has secured a new patent by the European Patent Office (EPO) for its SphygmoCor technology used in cuff-based blood pressure devices.

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one

ReSound One: getting an earful

30 September 2020

The majority of hearing aids on the market come equipped with a microphone situated inside an earpiece behind the ear, meaning the wearer’s experience of sound can be quite different to ‘natural’ hearing. The newly-launched ReSound One attempts to bypass this by placing the microphone inside the ear instead, using the shape of the ear to create a more familiar acoustic. Medical Device Network takes a closer look.

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app

Fitbit to launch first ECG app in U.S., Europe next month

28 September 2020

Fitbit’s latest smartwatch has now secured medical device clearances in the U.S. and Europe, unlocking the full use of its ECG app to help identify cases of the irregular heart rhythm known as atrial fibrillation.

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MRI

Could this portable MRI operate safely in patient rooms?

25 September 2020

Research by scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital has led to the development of a portable MRI machine designed to safely and accurately operate at a patient’s bedside.

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eye

Working artificial iris could reduce light sensitivity from migraines, say Imec, Ghent University

23 September 2020

A smart contact lens with an actively working artificial iris could become a solution for people with chronic migraines, dry eyes and oversensitivity to light, according to researchers in Belgium.

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cala

Cala Health’s wrist-worn stimulator improves tremor control in real-world study

21 September 2020

Cala Health presented new real-world data showing that its watch-like wearable electric stimulation device could be effective in improving hand control in people with essential tremor.

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flu

LabCorp to launch single home swab test spanning COVID-19, the flu & RSV

18 September 2020

LabCorp announced plans to launch a new at-home COVID-19 diagnostic that allows people to also get tested for the flu and respiratory syncytial virus from a single sample.

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u.k.

U.K. outlines post-Brexit medical device regime starting January

16 September 2020

The U.K. left the EU earlier this year but has remained subject to its rules under the terms of the transition period agreed to smooth the Brexit process. That transition period stops at the end of the year.

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pediatric

OrthoPediatrics Corp. announces 1,000th procedure utilizing its innovative Pediatric Nailing Platform | FEMUR (“PNP | FEMUR”) System

14 September 2020

OrthoPediatrics Corp., a company focused exclusively on advancing the field of pediatric orthopedics, today announced completion of the 1,000th surgery utilizing its Pediatric Nailing Platform

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smartwatch

Smartwatch EKGs could speed diagnosis of deadly heart syndrome, small study suggests

11 September 2020

Apple has generated some data that its smartwatch can help detect atrial fibrillation, per a study last year involving 419,000 people, and found a low likelihood of patients receiving an irregular pulse notification. Among its rivals, Verily has received 510(k) clearance for the EKG feature of its watch, and Fitbit is also studying use of its devices in detecting arrhythmias.

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SightGlass

FDA approves Medtronic’s Bluetooth-controlled insulin pump for children ages 2 and up

09 September 2020

The FDA has approved the latest automated artificial pancreas system from Medtronic, the MiniMed 770G, for adults and children with Type 1 diabetes as young as 2 years old.

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azurion

Philips relaunches its Azurion image-guided therapy platform, with automated 3D scanning

07 September 2020

Philips has launched the new version of its Azurion image-guided therapy platform, integrating multiple systems and tools for several minimally invasive procedures into a single footprint.

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Nanox

Nanox raises $190m for compact X-ray technology

03 September 2020

Nanox has spent eight years developing the Nanox.ARC, a commercial-grade digital X-ray machine designed to be much cheaper and more compact than traditional technology.

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Telemedicine

The future for telemedicine in a post-Covid world

01 September 2020

The arrival of Covid-19 meant health systems around the world had to adapt rapidly. But the pandemic had a particular impact on the way patients receive care from their doctors

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Companion Medical

Medtronic to buy Companion Medical

27 August 2020

Medtronic, the global leader in medical technology, today announced the planned acquisition of privately-held Companion Medical, manufacturer of InPen

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Masimo's

FDA approves Masimo’s Pleth variability index (PVi)

25 August 2020

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Masimo’s Pleth variability index (PVi) as a continuous, noninvasive, dynamic indicator of fluid responsiveness in select populations of mechanically ventilated adult patients.

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flu

How COVID-19 will cause a long-term shift in healthcare provisions

20 August 2020

Since the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared that the outbreak of a new Coronavirus (COVID-19) was a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in January 2020, more than three million confirmed cases have been recorded around the world.

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innovation

Health industry responds to Partnership proposal

18 August 2020

Leaders from across the health sector released a joint statement underlining the potential of the recently-published draft proposal for a European Partnership for Health Innovation

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Masimo's

FDA approves Medtronic devices

13 August 2020

Medtronic has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the InterStim Micro neurostimulator and InterStim SureScan MRI leads for the treatment of bladder and bowel control conditions.

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Siemens acquisition

Siemens Healthineers to acquire Varian Medical

11 August 2020

Germany-based medical device company Siemens Healthineers has signed an agreement to acquire US-based radiation oncology treatment solutions provider Varian Medical Systems in a $16.4bn deal.

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Alzheimer's

Potential method for early identification of Alzheimer’s

06 August 2020

C2N Diagnostics is set to develop blood biomarkers for the early identification of Alzheimer’s disease.

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azurion

Another $59M for Nanox’s ‘digital X-ray’ device

04 August 2020

Israeli “digital X-ray” startup Nanox has secured another $59 million from unnamed “global investors.”

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3D rendering of heart

Researchers 3D print a working heart pump with real human cells

30 July 2020

In a groundbreaking new study, researchers at the University of Minnesota have 3D printed a functioning centimeter-scale human heart pump in the lab.

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Implants

Researchers develop way to power implants with photonic wireless system

28 July 2020

Medical implants, such as pacemakers, serve various functions in patients and help to improve their quality of life. But, to power these devices, re-implants and invasive surgery are often required, which may lead to a risk of surgical complications.

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Siemens acquisition

Terumo Acquires Quirem Medical to Enhance its Interventional Oncology Field

23 July 2020

Terumo Corporation (TSE: 4543) announced it has completed the acquisition of Quirem Medical B.V.

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AI

Medical AI in 2020: Europe lags behind, Covid-19 steams ahead

21 July 2020

Medical artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), much like almost every other facet of modern technology, have been drastically sidetracked by Covid-19.

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regulatory affairs

New country on European regulatory affairs map ll

15 July 2020

Blog by Nickolay Romanok, CEO and founder of Archimed Medical

This is the second blog written by Nickolay Romanok.

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Ukraine

Ukraine – new country on European regulatory affairs map

13 July 2020

Blog by Nickolay Romanok, CEO and founder of Archimed Medical
The historical association with the Soviet Union gives believes that Ukraine belongs to the list of countries with a specific and incomprehensible regulatory system.

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providers

8 tips for telehealth regarding providers & patients

10 July 2020

Over the past several months, providers and their patients have had to ramp up telehealth in a hurry. Although reviews are early, usage is on the rise and both clearly acknowledge the potential for telehealth in everyday practice.

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semi

The SEMI Virtual Healthtech Summit solutions

08 July 2020

BERLIN, Germany ─ July 8, 2020 ─ The latest healthtech innovations driven by microelectronics will be presented at the SEMI Virtual Healthtech Summit, Europe’s first online event to explore the critical role of semiconductors in solving the world’s most pressing healthcare challenges including COVID-19. Registration is open for the July 16, 2020, summit.

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medical device trials

A Virtual Experience of Medical Device Trials

06 July 2020

London – Join us on 16 July for a virtual experience of Medical Device Trials conference.

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MedPhab

MedPhab: Medical pilot line for European SMEs

03 July 2020

MedPhab, is an open-access medical pilot line that enables researchers, SMEs and businesses to turn their diagnostic and treatment devices that use photonics into industrially-relevant demonstrators.

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telehealth

Telehealth and next big hurdles: integration and payment

01 July 2020

Four experts with the VA, Providence St. Joseph Health, Microsoft and One Medical shared what is needed for continued adoption of telehealth. Most pointed to better integration with clinical workflows and new payment models as future drivers for growth.

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Clincial operations in oncology

A Virtual Experience of Clinical Operations in Oncology Trials

29 June 2020

London – Join us on 15 July for a virtual experience of Clinical Operations in Oncology Trials conference (www.arena-international.com/oncologyvirtual/).

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MDMC

Research centre medical devices launched in Scotland

26 June 2020

A new research centre to develop and manufacture medical devices in Scotland has been launched.

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Training and Education Specialist

From hospital to….. Training and Education Specialist

24 June 2020

Marco de Ruijter is a Dutch Training and Education Specialist. During his career, he experienced memorable moments at some of the most well-known medical devices companies.

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Martha

Interview with Medtronic CEO: Geoff Martha

22 June 2020

As MD+DI reported in April, Medtronic was already bracing for its fiscal fourth quarter to reflect significant revenue declines, thanks to COVID-19.  But CEO Geoff Martha said the company is focused on emerging from this pandemic even stronger.

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Dušan

Community member on the spot: Dušan Popov-Čeleketić

19 June 2020

In the ‘Community member on the spot’ column, we take a dive into the career, challenges and professional passion of one of our community members active in the medical devices sector.

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Resolute Onyx

Medtronic’s Resolute Onyx receives one-month DAPT

17 June 2020

Medtronic plc (NYSE:MDT), the global leader in medical technology, today announced it has received CE (Conformité Européenne) Mark for a one-month dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) indication for high bleeding risk (HBR) patients implanted with the Resolute Onyx™ Drug-Eluting Stent (DES).

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SightGlass

SightGlass Vision nets European approval

15 June 2020

SightGlass Vision received a CE mark allowing its first suite of lenses—for eyeglasses specially designed to slow the progression of nearsightedness in children—to be sold throughout Europe.

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Feedback

Feedback receives CE mark for Bleepa

12 June 2020

Feedback has received the CE Mark for Bleepa, its imaging-based communication platform for clinicians to access medical grade images through smartphones, tablets and desktops.

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artificial lung

Medtronic makes ‘artificial lung’ therapy available

10 June 2020

Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) is temporarily modifying product indications so that health providers can use its extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) technology to treat people with severe cases of COVID-19. ECMO could be described as a type of “artificial lung” technology that pumps blood from a person’s body to an oxygenator that provides long-term oxygen and carbon-dioxide transfer.

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notified body

EU group sets path for pre-MDR notified body renewal

08 June 2020

The Medical Device Regulation, a more stringent replacement to the existing Medical Devices Directive, would have taken force this week if not for a one-year delay finalised at the end of April given the “extraordinary circumstances” caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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clinical surveillance

Philips’ biosensor for clinical surveillance

05 June 2020

The company touts its next-generation device as being able to enhance clinical surveillance to help clinicians detect risks so they can intervene earlier and help improve care in lower acuity care areas.

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remote

ResMed, Medtronic embrace remote tech amid crisis

03 June 2020

Spurred by regulatory flexibility from FDA, companies like GE Healthcare, Medtronic, and ResMed have developed and rapidly deployed remote programming and monitoring capabilities for their devices to help frontline providers reduce exposure to the deadly virus.

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Medical Devices packaging

Global Medical Devices Packaging Market value – 2025

02 June 2020

The “Global Medical Devices Packaging Market: Growth, Trends and Forecast (2020-2025)” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering.

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Nevro

Nevro receives CE marking for SCS system

29 May 2020

Nevro has received CE mark approval for the Senza Omnia spinal cord stimulation (SCS) system for the treatment of chronic pain.

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DigitalHealth.London

DigitalHealth.London opens apps for accelerator plan

27 May 2020

DigitalHealth.London has opened applications for its flagship accelerator programme for the next generation of digital health companies to transform health and care.

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u.k.

Clinical trial safety reporting, Eudamed start dates

25 May 2020

The European Commission’s Medical Device Coordination Group published guidance Wednesday on reporting safety events involving investigational devices under the incoming regulations.

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contract

EU signs contract with Philips on ventilators

22 May 2020

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Dutch electronics giant Philips signed a contract with the European Commission to supply medical ventilators to EU hospitals, the company and EU officials said, in a deal that comes as most EU countries reached the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak.

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Maria

Community member on the spot: Maria Isabel Castellanos Arboleda

20 May 2020

In this first community member on the spot, we take a dive into the career, challenges and professional passion of one of our community members active in the medical devices sector.

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Telemedicine

Digital health passport: deal for integrating technologies

18 May 2020

International Digital Health Technology firm Circle Pass Enterprises (CPE) has signed a deal with VST Enterprises (VSTE), the British cybersecurity company, to integrate its VCode & VPlatform technologies into the COVI-PASS Digital Health Passport.

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NEC

Thinklabs produces advanced electronic stethoscope

15 May 2020

Electronic stethoscope company Thinklabs, has developed technological advances aimed to help keep healthcare workers safe during the COVID-19 pandemic by allowing Safe Distance Auscultation.

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Seoul institute

Seoul institute looks at technology to prevent COVID-19 transmission

13 May 2020

The Seoul Institute of Technology is working with open innovation firm InnoCentive to try and prevent the transmission of COVID-19.

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Outsourcing in clinical trials

Outsourcing in Clinical Trials Conference

11 May 2020

London – Arena International announced that the Outsourcing in Clinical Trials Conference will be held as a Virtual Experience on Wednesday, 27 May 2020, providing the ideal platform to talk about the impact of crisis on the pharma industry and discovering best approaches to CRO, Sponsor and Patient relationships.

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AAOS

VR surgery technology given AAOS accreditation

08 May 2020

Surgical training tech provider FundamentalVR, has announced that all the orthopaedic education simulations available on the Fundamental Surgery platform have been reviewed by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and awarded accreditation status.

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Medical Devices Regulation

EU finalises 1-year Medical Device Regulation delay

06 May 2020

A 13th notified body has been designated under the EU Medical Device Regulation, per a listing published in the European Commission’s NANDO database on Saturday. 

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NHS Trust

NHS Trust to use combined imaging & messaging tool

04 May 2020

Medical imaging company Feedback Medical has announced that Bleepa will be rolled-out across the Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust with immediate effect as a key patient management tool to assist its Coronavirus response.

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Novartis

Novartis to acquire digital therapeutics maker Amblyotech

30 April 2020

Financial terms of the deal were kept confidential. Novartis will work with Ubisoft and McGill University to accelerate development of a digital therapeutic for amblyopia, also known as lazy eye.

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European COVID-19 Data Platform

European COVID-19 data platform

28 April 2020

Today, the European Commission together with several partners launched a European COVID-19 Data Platform to enable the rapid collection and sharing of available research data.

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clinical trial

Clinical trial seeks to find ventilator alternatives

24 April 2020

Researchers will deliver a clinical trial that aims to recruit approximately 4,000 patients in order to find effective alternative solutions for patients with COVID-19 to reduce the need for treatment with a ventilator and improve patient outcomes. 

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abbott

How Abbott became a leader for COVID-19 testing

22 April 2020

Diagnostic companies across the world have stepped up over the past couple months to bring much-needed testing to the COVID-19 frontlines. But Abbott has emerged as a leading test maker in this battle as the company has launched three COVID-19 tests and has a fourth test on the way.

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Apple and Google

Apple and Google building Covid-19 contact tracing tool

20 April 2020

Apple and Google revealed on Friday that the two tech rivals are collaborating to launch a contact-tracing app for Covid-19. The system would use a Bluetooth signal that would bounce between users’ mobile phones to trace who they had been in contact with recently.

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medical imaging services

Medical imaging services expanded through alliance

17 April 2020

Nanox is onboarding key players in the artificial intelligence space to help improve the accessibility and affordability of early-detection services. The latest collaboration is with Qure.ai. Nanox Imaging has struck a partnership with Qure.ai that could have an impact on medical imaging.

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Xerox

Xerox partners with Vortran to make portable ventilators

15 April 2020

Xerox (NYSE:XRX) and Vortran Medical Technology announced that they are collaborating to speed and scale production of Vortran’s GO2Vent ventilator and related APM-Plus airway pressure monitor in the fight against COVID-19.

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shortage of medical devices

Shortage of medical devices an extreme concern during COVID-19

13 April 2020

Verdict has found that there’s an extreme concern over the shortage of medical devices such as ventilators during the COVID-19 outbreak.

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Patient safety

Do hospitals have an adequate patient safety system?

10 April 2020

Notwithstanding their entrance into the healthcare world and lexicon 15 years ago, Patient Safety Organizations continue to represent a source of uncertainty, confusion and frustration with respect to their promise of sweeping confidentiality protection for provider efforts to analyze system errors.

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TherOx

ZOLL Medical receives FDA approval for TherOx System

08 April 2020

ZOLL Medical has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its TherOx System that delivers SuperSaturated Oxygen (SSO2) Therapy and reduces heart muscle damage in ‘widowmaker’ heart attack patients.

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face shields

COVID-19: Thermoformer develops face shields

06 April 2020

Prent Corp., a thermoformer of custom plastic medical device packaging, has designed a new face shield for healthcare workers and dedicated a new line to producing the shields, in just 48 hours. As of March 30, the company had produced and donated

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MedTech Europe

MedTech Europe calls for delay of MDR until coronavirus crisis passes

03 April 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic is placing particular strains on medtech companies, which are dealing with the effects of the outbreak on their organizations while trying to meet unprecedented demand for personal protective equipment, diagnostics,

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Covid-19

FDA authorizes hand-held COVID-19 diagnostic test

01 April 2020

In response to the coronavirus crisis, we’ve seen COVID-19 diagnostics quickly evolve from early, multistep kits to high-throughput versions to fast point-of-care tests, all in just a few weeks.

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emocha's

Johns Hopkins uses Emocha’s tool to monitor Covid-19

30 March 2020

Johns Hopkins Medicine is using digital health startup Emocha’s telehealth tool to monitor healthcare providers for Covid-19 symptoms. The health system had previously used Emocha’s software for other infectious diseases.

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Roche

Roche urges international collaboration to tackle Covid-19 pandemic

27 March 2020

Pharmaceutical giant Roche has called on governments around the world to work closely with the life sciences industry to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.

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coronavirus test kits

Roche ships 400K coronavirus test kits in the U.S.

25 March 2020

Roche Diagnostics said that it has begun deploying its newly authorised cobas coronavirus diagnostic to hospitals and reference laboratories, with a wave of 400,000 swab-testing kits expected to arrive this week.

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medtech revenue growth

Biggest threat to medtech revenue growth

23 March 2020

In a new report, Needham & Co.’s Mike Matson says he doesn’t expect an economic slowdown to weigh directly on medtech revenue growth, but that doesn’t mean the industry will be unaffected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

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handheld 3D printer

Handheld 3D printer could be game changer in burn&trauma care

20 March 2020

A new handheld 3D printer that looks sort of like a packing tape dispenser can apply sheets of skin to cover large burn wounds, and its “bio ink” can accelerate the healing process, according to researchers from University of Toronto Engineering and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto.

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aggresive behaviours

FDA bans shock devices against aggressive behaviours

18 March 2020

The FDA has exercised a rarely used authority to completely ban a product from the market: the use of electric shock devices for conditioning a person against self-harm or aggressive behaviours.

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azurion

Covid-19 patients: Chest CTs reveal nature and extent of damage

16 March 2020

A multi-centre study has used computed tomography (CT) scans to gain insights into the nature and extent of the lung damage caused by novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pneumonia.

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pediatric

Device introduced to manage in-flight medical events

13 March 2020

Aberdeen University spinout MIME Technologies has unveiled a smart device called Aiber, which could completely alter how medical emergencies are managed on flights.

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back pain

Can AI really distinguish between back pain?

11 March 2020

Researchers from Mount Sinai have developed an artificial intelligence model that has the ability to tell the difference between acute or chronic lower back pain.

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ICER

Pricing watchdog ICER taps Aetion’s real-world evidence platform for value assessments

09 March 2020

The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, also known as drug-pricing watchdog ICER, has partnered with medical data firm Aetion to help analyse the real-world performance of different treatments as it scrutinises their broader value.

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henri

My first month at… Frencken Europe

06 March 2020

The “My first month at…” column will elaborate on the experiences of professionals who recently started their new job in the medical devices industry.

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Could an Apple Watch app reduce stroke risks?

04 March 2020

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) and Apple (NSDQ:AAPL) announced today that they’ve opened enrollment for the Heartline Study, which will look at the ability of Apple Watch heart health features to reduce stroke risks.

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surgeons

Robotics could assist surgeons with real-time training

02 March 2020

Teaching surgical residents has been a practice that is relatively unchanged over the course of decades and even, perhaps, centuries. Instruction by observation and eventual supervised hands-on practice forms the basis of the transfer of knowledge and skill between an experienced surgeon and a beginner.

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ADHD

ADHD: initial success in treating adult with deep magnetic stimulation

28 February 2020

Magnetic treatment developer BrainsWay—which previously received clearances for deep, magnetic stimulation aimed at recalcitrant depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder—has delivered new clinical results examining the feasibility of its non-invasive device on adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD).

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health care

Three questions every healthcare company should ask

26 February 2020

As health care goes digital, and technology becomes an inseparable part of its delivery, companies should ask three questions to help them evaluate when to invest and when to pass. Investor interest in health care technology soared in 2019 and remains strong for 2020, reflecting excitement about its potential – and the deep need for integrated solutions.

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face shields

Antimicrobial touchscreens for hospital computers unveiled by Cybernet

24 February 2020

Cybernet Manufacturing, maker of medical-grade computers, tablets and monitors, has unveiled a new, large touchscreen designed to resist the growth of infection-causing (antimicrobial) organisms and limit their spread throughout a hospital.

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neurological health

Startup uses fine retinal movements as window into neurological health

21 February 2020

By measuring the minuscule motions of the human eye—and tracking the movements of the retina on a cellular level—a startup hopes to open new windows into a person’s neurological health. 

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robotic surgery

Medtronic to boost AI & robotic surgery work with Digital Surgery

19 February 2020

Medtronic is looking to augment not only its work in robotic surgery, but efforts across all of its procedural offerings through the acquisition of Digital Surgery, the London-based makers of data analytics, artificial intelligence and training programs for the operating room.

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Oxford VR

Oxford VR secures $12.5m investment for VR therapy tech

17 February 2020

UK-based virtual reality (VR) therapy company Oxford VR has announced the completion of a $12.5m Series A funding round led by Optum Ventures and supported by Luminous Ventures. The capital will fund the firm’s efforts to increase the US presence of its automated VR therapy solution for behavioural health issues, as well as continuing the expansion of its treatment pipeline into conditions such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

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Senseonics

Senseonics, Companion Medical to integrate sensor glucose and insulin data

14 February 2020

Senseonics (NYSE:SENS) will integrate its Eversense continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system’s real-time glucose data with Companion Medical‘s InPen smart insulin delivery system.

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Serenno

Serenno introduces device for kidney monitoring

12 February 2020

Serenno Medical, a portfolio company of Alon Medtech Ventures, has introduced a new automatic device, dubbed Sentinel, for continuous monitoring of kidney function. For use within the hospital, the Sentinel device works by continuously measuring urine output and volume to help identify cases of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI). Sentinel device is compatible with existing catheters, as well as urine bags and needs a short and simple, non-invasive installation.

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mdr

MDR looms. Three key questions on medtech’s future in Europe

10 February 2020

The U.K. has left the European Union. However, while U.K. politicians sought to frame that outcome as getting Brexit done, in practice the divorce process is ongoing and many questions critical to the future of medtech remain unanswered. Here, we look at the current understanding on three key questions for medtech, starting with the status of the Medical Device Regulation (MDR) and its in vitro diagnostic sibling.

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Sony

FDA clears surgery video-sharing platform of Sony

07 February 2020

Multinational conglomerate Sony has received a clearance from the FDA for its digital workflow collaboration platform for hospital operating rooms and catheter labs. The company’s NUCLeUS software is designed to provide imaging management at 4K resolution as well as still images and patient data, plus it has the ability to capture and share live or archived surgical videos for teaching purposes.

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Masimo's

Olympus Announces FDA Clearance of Duodenoscope

05 February 2020

Olympus, a global technology leader in designing and delivering innovative solutions for medical and surgical procedures, announced today the FDA clearance of its TJF-Q190V duodenoscope with a sterile, disposable distal endcap.

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Medtronic

Medtronic acquires Stimgenics to buy spinal cord tech

31 January 2020

Medtronic announced it acquired Stimgenics, a Bloomington, Illinois-based startup that’s developed a novel spinal cord stimulation waveform Medtronic plans to deliver via its Intellis implantable neurostimulator to treat chronic pain. Medtronic expects the deal to be neutral to fiscal 2020 earnings and did not disclose other financial terms.

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FDA

FDA clears new AI system to spot stroke

29 January 2020

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted 501(k) clearance to radiology company Aidoc’s AI based system for the detection of large-vessel occlusion (LVO), ischaemic strokes that result from a blockage in one of the major arteries of the brain.

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Virtual Incision

Virtual Incision raises $20 million for mini surgical robots

27 January 2020

Virtual Incision raised $20 million for the development of its miniaturized surgical robot to help support its regulatory programs and clinical testing. The company recently submitted its initial filings with the FDA, seeking an investigational device exemption that will allow it to begin confirmatory studies in colon resection surgeries at a number of U.S. sites.

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Innovation for Health

Innovation for Health 2020 focuses on Brain and AI

22 January 2020

Innovation for Health is a conference where the most relevant persons from the life-science industry come together. On 13 February 2020 the seventh edition of the conference will take place in De Doelen ICC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Innovation for Health is Netherlands’ premier conference for innovators in Health and Life Sciences.

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Surgical

Zap Surgical raises $81M for RadioSurgical Robot

20 January 2020

US-based medical technology company ZAP Surgical Systems has raised $81m in the recently completed equity financing round led by Primavera Capital. Established in 2014, ZAP Surgical Systems is engaged in the design and manufacturing of the ZAP-X radiosurgery platform.

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LVAD

Abbott’s new designation helps advance LVAD market

17 January 2020

Abbott Laboratories has won a nod from FDA for a new alternative surgical technique for the HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD). This technique will not only allow more advanced heart failure patients the opportunity to avoid open-heart surgery, but it will help advance the firm’s position in the LVAD market. 

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heart attack

Using imaging for early intervention after a heart attack

15 January 2020

Insights into how the heart recovers after myocardial infarction (heart attack) can be obtained with a new radiotracer that targets fibroblast activity prior to it causing permanent damage. According to research published in the December issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine, 68Ga-FAPI-04 positron emission tomography (PET) can effectively image fibroblast activation after myocardial infarction, identifying a time window during which cardiac fibrosis can be prevented and the disease course altered.

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Allurion

Allurion raises $34M for swallowable weight-loss balloon

13 January 2020

Gastric weight-loss balloon manufacturer Allurion Technologies has raised $34 million in new funding to boost its commercialization efforts and entry into the U.S. market, pending FDA approval. Through a securities financing and a growth capital term loan, the round was led by Novalis LifeSciences and Romulus Capital, with additional backing from IDO Investments and former Covidien CEO Jose Almeida. The loan was provided by Bridge Bank.

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Swallowing

Researchers develop device for swallowing disorders

10 January 2020

A wearable monitoring device could make treatment of swallowing disorders easier and more affordable. Researchers from Purdue University have created a skin-mountable sensor sticker that attaches firmly to the neck and is connected with small cables to a wireless transmitter unit.

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ormco

My first month at… Ormco

08 January 2020

The “My first month at…” column will elaborate on the experiences of professionals who recently started their new job in the medical devices industry.

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Johnson

Johnson & Johnson fires up the surgical robotics market

06 January 2020

The New Brunswick, N.J.-based company said it would acquire the remaining stake in Verb Surgical, a joint venture the company has with Verily. Earlier, MD+DI asked if Johnson & Johnson was becoming a surgical robotics powerhouse.

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Zika

Roche launches Zika blood screening test

03 January 2020

Roche is launching its in vitro diagnostic test for the Zika virus in countries accepting the CE mark, intended to help screen and protect the global supply of blood donations. For use on the company’s cobas 6800/8800 automated molecular testing systems, the test detects RNA strands that can be traced back to the Zika virus in human plasma samples.

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medtech

The biggest medtech deals stories of 2019

30 December 2019

Medtech has seen some major funding rounds, mergers and acquisitions in 2019. Chloe Kent rounds up some of the most influential digital health deals of 2019.

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Dexcom

Dexcom CEO apologizes for remote monitoring outage

27 December 2019

Dexcom CEO Kevin Sayer on Friday issued a public apology to the company’s customers for the outage two weeks ago of an app-based service that enables caregivers to remotely monitor diabetes patients’ blood sugar readings taken by a continuous glucose monitor (CGM).

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Dekra

Dekra NL notified body gains EU MDR designation

23 December 2019

Dekra Certification B.V., the Netherlands-based notified body of the worldwide product certification firm, is now designated to review products under the European Medical Device Regulation (MDR), per an official listing Saturday in a European Commission database.

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Beta Bionics

Beta Bionics gets FDA breakthrough device status

20 December 2019

Boston-based medtech Beta Bionics said Tuesday it received priority review from FDA as part of the Breakthrough Devices Program for its​ iLet system​, which uses mathematical dosing algorithms to automatically control blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.

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CMR

CMR Surgical to bring on new CEO

18 December 2019

U.K.-based robotics developer CMR Surgical plans to bring on a new chief executive at the top of the year, not long after kicking off the global commercialization of its modular, minimally invasive Versius system following a £195 million ($240 million) funding round.

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Enzyre

Enzyre and Takeda to develop home haemophilia device

16 December 2019

Enzyre has entered into a research collaboration with the Takeda Pharmaceutical Company to develop a device for haemophilia patients to quickly determine their coagulation status at home.

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ViewRay

ViewRay investors inks deal with Elekta and Medtronic

13 December 2019

Radiation therapy player ViewRay plans to collaborate with Medtronic and Swedish medtech Elekta, the company said Monday, moves it hopes will bolster clinical understanding of its image-guided radiation technology and significantly strengthen its cash position.

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lawsuit

Medical device failures brought to light now bolster lawsuit and research

11 December 2019

Lorraine Bonner felt as though she was the only one. The surgical staples used to seal her colon after surgery had leaked, she has alleged in a lawsuit, spurring additional surgeries and a long, difficult recovery.

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Parliament

EU Parliament panel adopts MDR delay

09 December 2019

A European Parliament committee voted to adopt changes to the EU Medical Device Regulation that would push back the compliance deadline for certain Class I medical devices by four years.

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EtO

FDA takes action to reduce EtO use

06 December 2019

FDA is moving forward on recommendations from a public advisory committee meeting earlier this month regarding ethylene oxide (EtO) sterilization concerns and facility closures. 

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DePuy

DePuy Synthes launches new cervical spine system

04 December 2019

Johnson & Johnson’s (NYSE:JNJ) DePuy Synthes said it has launched its Symphony occipito-cervico-thoracic system to expand its portfolio of surgical treatments for the neck and upper back.

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DCB

Medtronic’s IN.PACT AV DCB receives FDA approval

02 December 2019

Medtronic has secured the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for its IN.PACT AV drug-coated balloon (DCB), a paclitaxel-coated balloon to treat failing arteriovenous (AV) access in patients suffering from end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing dialysis.

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MDR

EU MDR: the challenge of compliance by may 2020

29 November 2019

Medical device manufacturers are less mature in their labeling management compared to peers in other regulated industries, because until now regulatory measures around traceability and reporting have been less pronounced. But with EU MDR (Medical Device Regulations) due to go live in just a few months, how will device manufacturers cope with the numerous implications for patient-facing content?

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MyVal

MyVal transcatheter heart valve reports positive trial

27 November 2019

Indian medtech company Meril’s MyVal 1 transcatheter heart valve (THV) has demonstrated a high procedural success rate in a one-month clinical trial.

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Sera

Sera Prognostics raises $36m to market its PreTRM test

25 November 2019

Health diagnostics company Sera Prognostics has secured $36m funds to advance the commercialisation of its PreTRM test. The PreTRM test is a clinically-validated blood test, which offers an early and individual risk prediction for spontaneous preterm birth in asymptomatic and singleton pregnancies.

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Invitae

Invitae to buy DNA-counseling chatbot developer

22 November 2019

The genetic testing firm Invitae aims to scale up its ability to provide personal guidance alongside its DNA test results—through the planned, $50 million acquisition of Clear Genetics, developers of digital counseling software.

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Genomic Health

Exact Sciences closed its acquisition of Genomic Health

20 November 2019

Molecular diagnostics firm Exact Sciences has closed its approximately $2.8bn acquisition of genomic diagnostics maker Genomic Health. In July, Exact Sciences signed a definitive agreement to acquire genomic diagnostics maker Genomic Health in a cash-and-stock deal.

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aneurysm

World’s first robot-assisted brain aneurysm surgery

18 November 2019

A team of Toronto doctors has completed the world’s first brain aneurysm surgery using robotics, leading to hope of better treatment for aneurysm and stroke patients, especially in areas where specialized surgical expertise isn’t available.

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Abbott

Abbott circulatory support system Class I recall

15 November 2019

The FDA recently labeled two device recalls as Class I, the most serious, after they were launched by Philips and Abbott earlier this year—including the latter’s CentriMag cardiac support system for open-heart surgeries following the death of a patient. 

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bone implant

Breakthrough tag for tackling biofilm infections

13 November 2019

FDA has awarded breakthrough device status to Garwood Medical Devices’ technology for tackling biofilm infections on prosthetic knee implants, the company said.

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Stryker

Medical device maker Stryker to buy Wright Medical

11 November 2019

Medical device maker Stryker Corp (SYK.N) said on Monday it would buy smaller rival Wright Medical Group (WMGI.O) for about $4 billion in cash, expanding into the fast-growing business of implants for shoulders and wrists.

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FDA

FDA pitches black box warning for breast implants

08 November 2019

FDA on Wednesday proposed that manufacturers add a black box warning to breast implant products, a move the agency teased earlier this year after convening an advisory panel on a form of cancer some believe is linked to textured versions of the products.

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Google

2 companies apply Google AI to patient monitoring

06 November 2019

Google has been no stranger to the industry’s rush to bring artificial intelligence (AI) software to healthcare—with programs in diabetic retinopathy, electronic patient records and cancer-seeking CT scans—but now they’re looking to supply the hardware, too.

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Fresenius

Fresenius gets breakthrough tag

04 November 2019

Fresenius Medical Care North America (NYSE:FMS)  said that it won breakthrough device designation from the FDA for the new hemodialysis system it’s developing.

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Fitbit

Fitbit partners up on early atrial fibrillation detection

01 November 2019

Fitbit is teaming up with Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer to help bring atrial fibrillation detection capabilities to its line of wearable fitness trackers as part of a larger campaign toward earlier diagnoses among those at higher risk of heart disease and stroke.

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blood

Blood-cleaning machine eliminates carbon monoxide

30 October 2019

Hemoglobin in the body’s red blood cells binds carbon monoxide 200 times more tightly than it does oxygen, which explains why exposure to the gas can be so deadly.

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colectomies

Research questions safety benefit of robotic colectomies

28 October 2019

The use of robotics in colectomies has shot up in recent years but research published in JAMA Surgery questions the value of the high-tech approach over open and laparoscopic procedures.

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3M

3M completes $6.7B deal Acelity

25 October 2019

3M Co. said Friday it has completed its acquisition of San Antonio medical technology company Acelity Inc. in a transaction valued at about $6.7 billion.

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Sandoz

Sandoz drops out of partnership with Pear Therapeutics

23 October 2019

Sandoz pulled the plug on its commercialization partnership with Pear Therapeutics, ending its experiment with digital treatments for substance use disorders that first kicked off in April 2018.

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Brexit

Brexit: UK floats device contingency

21 October 2019

The U.K. government has described a proposed Medicines and Medical Devices Bill to support the life sciences sector after Brexit, roughly two weeks before a key deadline that could see the country exiting the European Union.

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Medtronic stent graft system

Medtronic stent graft system wins breakthrough designation

16 October 2019

A stent graft system being developed by Medtronic for minimally invasive repair of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) received breakthrough device designation from FDA, the company announced Tuesday.

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Qiagen

Qiagen and Illumina sign 15-year deal for IVD tests

16 October 2019

Diagnostic solutions providers Qiagen and Illumina have collaborated to boost the availability and use of next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) tests, including companion diagnostics, for clinical patient management.

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Paralysed

Paralysed man moves in mind-reading exoskeleton

14 October 2019

A man has been able to move all four of his paralysed limbs with a mind-controlled exoskeleton suit, French researchers report.

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BD

BD to appoint new as the medtech’s CEO

11 October 2019

BD COO Thomas Polen, 46, will take over as the medtech’s CEO on Jan. 28, 2020, per a unanimous vote by the company’s board of directors announced in a leadership succession plan Thursday.

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breast implants

Australia enforces new regs on all breast implant makers

11 October 2019

The Therapeutic Goods Administration is following through on plans to temporarily or permanently remove certain textured breast implants and tissue expanders from the Australian market after concluding a safety review of the devices it initiated in May.

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drug-eluting stent

New drug-eluting stent data in patients at high risk for bleeds

09 October 2019

In late-breaking clinical data, Medtronic showed that its Resolute Onyx drug-eluting stent showed success in patients at a high risk for bleeding, a group that is often excluded from stent and drug studies.

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virtual reality

Virtual reality could improve surgical outcomes

07 October 2019

A new study led by UCLA Health in the US has shown that three-dimensional (3D) virtual reality models could improve surgical outcomes by enabling better visualisation of a patient’s anatomy. When tested in preparation for kidney tumour surgeries, the models led to shorter operating times, less blood loss during surgery, and a shorter hospital stay following the procedure.

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CMR

CMR Surgical raises £195m in Series C round

04 October 2019

UK-based medical robotics company CMR Surgical has raised £195m in its Series C funding round, pushing the company value to over £1bn before the launch of its first product.

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organs

A swifter way towards 3D-printed organs

02 October 2019

20 people die every day waiting for an organ transplant in the United States, and while more than 30,000 transplants are now performed annually, there are over 113,000 patients currently on organ waitlists.

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pressure

Omron’s HeartGuide: blood pressure monitoring for the modern age

30 September 2019

High blood pressure is often managed through at-home self-monitoring, a routine which can be difficult to manage for patients with hectic lifestyles. Now, Japanese medtech giant Omron may have the solution.

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robotic

Brexit threatens U.K. robotic surgery innovation

27 September 2019

The United Kingdom robotic surgery sector is likely to suffer if a U.K. hard split from the European Union hinders cross-border collaborations, according to a study published in BMJ Open on Tuesday. According to the analysis, the U.K. has become one of the most innovative places for robotic surgery on the strength of its collaborations with other EU member states. If the U.K. can replace EU partners with top-performing United States collaborators, Brexit could boost the robotic surgery sector but the researchers said that will likely be very difficult and expensive to achieve.

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Medtech Summit

Hope is not a strategy – Insights from the MedTech Summit

25 September 2019

Written by Angela Leek – Medical Devices Community

From 17 until 21 June 2019, the MedTech Summit took place in Brussels. Over 150 expert speakers came together at the Crowne Plaza Hotel to navigate professionals from the industry through current challenges by giving presentations, holding discussions and in-depth case studies. On behalf of the Medical Devices Community, I was present to get insights on the most recent developments.

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Biotronik

Biotronik obtains the world’s first MDR certification

23 September 2019

The First Class III Medical Device is Certified Under the New European Medical Device Regulation

BIOTRONIK  announced that it is the world’s first manufacturer to receive European Medical Device Regulation (MDR) certification for a Class III (highest risk) medical device. Following a successful conformity assessment, BIOTRONIK also obtained MDR certification for its quality management system.

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cells

Studying heart cells with nanovolcanoes

20 September 2019

Researchers at EPFL and the University of Bern have developed a groundbreaking method for studying the electrical signals of cardiac muscle cells. The technology has numerous potential applications in basic and applied research – such as improving the search for mechanisms underlying cardiac arrhythmias.

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diagnose

iRhythm links with Verily to help diagnose ‘silent’ afib

18 September 2019

Wearable electrocardiogram maker iRhythm Technologies has begun working with Verily Life Sciences to develop ways to better screen, diagnose and manage patients living with so-called “silent” atrial fibrillation.

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abbott

Abbott launches trial of its tricuspid valve repair device

16 September 2019

Abbott has begun its first randomized, pivotal trial to test a new method of fixing leaky tricuspid heart valves, where there are currently no approved minimally invasive repair therapies available.

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5G meets medicine

5G meets medicine: separating fact from fiction

13 September 2019

5G has been hailed as the next frontier for medicine, introducing new remote surgery capabilities and expanding patient access to the internet in hospitals. But not everyone is convinced. We take a look at the realistic impact that 5G could have on the industry.

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Urine test cancer

Urine test shows promise for cancer detection

11 September 2019

A laboratory study in mice demonstrates that a colour-change urine test based on nanosensors could help detect colon cancer / bowel cancer. Researchers at Imperial College London, UK and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US developed the new technology to enable early cancer identification.

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Elekta buys ProKnow

Elekta fortifies treatment planning offering with acquisition of ProKnow

09 September 2019

STOCKHOLM, August 29, 2019 – Elekta (EKTA-B.ST) announced that it has acquired ProKnow Systems, LLC, in order to expand its offering of cloud-based solutions for advanced radiation therapy. With ProKnow’s products, such as ProKnow DS, Elekta’s customers will have access to high-quality, cloud-based, treatment planning analytics to standardize their practices.

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scoliosis

FDA approves first spinal tether implant for correcting childhood scoliosis

06 September 2019

The FDA approved the first spinal tether medical device to correct the most common form of scoliosis in children and adolescents—a ropelike implant that pulls the vertebrae into shape as the child grows, following the failure of treatments like external braces. Zimmer Biomet’s new tethering system for idiopathic scoliosis is intended for children whose sideways curvature of the spine has become so severe that surgery such as a bone fusion procedure may be necessary.

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3d printing

Researchers develop 3D printing for heart valves

04 September 2019

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University recently developed a method to rebuild components of the human heart using 3D printing. The team of researchers made an advanced version of Freeform Reversible Embedding of Suspended Hydrogels (FRESH) technology in order to 3D print collagen with complexity to construct components of the human heart. The method spans from small blood vessel to valves and beating ventricles. The FRESH technology was recently awarded a U.S. patent and is being licensed to FluidForm.

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endoscope

Tiny lensless endoscope captures 3D images of objects smaller than a cell

02 September 2019

Researchers have developed a new self-calibrating endoscope that produces 3D images of objects smaller than a single cell. Without a lens or any optical, electrical or mechanical components, the tip of the endoscope measures just 200 microns across, about the width of a few human hairs twisted together.

As a minimally invasive tool for imaging features inside living tissues, the extremely thin endoscope could enable a variety of research and medical applications. The research will be presented at the Frontiers in Optics + Laser Science (FIO + LS) conference, held September 15-19 in Washington, D.C., U.S.A.

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mris

Trump administration delays law to curb unneeded MRIs

30 August 2019

Five years after Congress passed a law to reduce unnecessary MRIs, CT scans and other expensive diagnostic imaging tests that could harm patients and waste money, federal officials have yet to implement it. The law requires that doctors consult clinical guidelines set by the medical industry before Medicare will pay for many common exams for enrollees. Health care providers who go way beyond clinical guidelines in ordering these scans (the 5% who order the most tests that are inappropriate) will, under the law, be required after that to get prior approval from Medicare for their diagnostic imaging.

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wound closure

ZipLine’s wound closure alternative outperforms staples

28 August 2019

Two recent clinical studies from ZipLine Medical showed that its surgical wound closure system demonstrated improvements in both patient outcomes and overall costs compared to surgical staples. The company’s Zip device is used to help close and hold together the outer skin after deeper layers of sutures are applied within a surgical incision. Its non-invasive, flexible design aims to minimize scarring compared to staples, sutures or glue, while the wound heals following a procedure.

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Sterilization

Ethylene oxide sterilization for medical devices

26 August 2019

Why Is Ethylene Oxide Used to Sterilize Medical Devices?

Medical devices are sterilized in a variety of ways including using moist heat (steam), dry heat, radiation, ethylene oxide gas, vaporized hydrogen peroxide, and other sterilization methods (for example, chlorine dioxide gas, vaporized peracetic acid, and nitrogen dioxide). Ethylene oxide sterilization is an important sterilization method that manufacturers widely use to keep medical devices safe.

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neuromodulation

UBS surgeon poll points to neuromodulation market slowdown

23 August 2019

Analysts at UBS said the worldwide neuromodulation spinal cord stimulation market appears to be slowing and will likely be down year over year, based on feedback from the bank’s survey of surgeons. Significant deceleration in growth over the past two quarters is due to a lack of new product launches, price discounting, turnover among sales representatives, and use of alternative pain treatments, UBS said. Among device makers, Boston Scientific and Abbott reported weaker spinal cord stimulation growth rates in the second quarter, while Medtronic appeared to be gaining market share, the bank said. Fewer surgeons were using devices from Nevro in the latest survey, compared to the third quarter of 2018, UBS said.

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spaceborn

Born in space? The shift in the mission’s program

21 August 2019

A follow-up interview with Dr. Egbert Edelbroek – CEO & Founder of SpaceBorn United

In the previous article, we spoke Dr. Edelbroek about the ambitious space missions that his organisation SpaceBorn United is preparing. SpaceBorn United is a biotech and space mission development company. The company wants to contribute to the learning process of human reproduction in space. Currently, when humans are exposed to the many challenges of space, it leaves them unable to reproduce. The mission program is divided into three missions, Ark, Lotus and Cradle. In this article we will dive a little deeper into these missions.

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breast

AI improves efficiency and accuracy of digital breast tomosynthesis

19 August 2019

Artificial intelligence (AI) helps improve the efficiency and accuracy of an advanced imaging technology used to screen for breast cancer, according to a new study published in the journal Radiology: Artificial Intelligence.

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blood pressure

Blood pressure monitoring much easier in the future

16 August 2019

Blood pressure monitoring might one day become as easy as taking a video selfie, according to new research in Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging, an American Heart Association journal.

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health

Two health tech startups among European funding competition winners

14 August 2019

Xploro, a digital therapeutics platform developed in Manchester, and Triple Tread, a high-performance tricycle manufacturer based in Congleton, were both winners in the final round of the European Institute of Technology’s (EIT) Health Headstart Awards.

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pregnancy

Worrisome increase in some medical scans during pregnancy

12 August 2019

Use of medical imaging during pregnancy increased significantly in the United States, a new study has found, with nearly a four-fold rise over the last two decades in the number of women undergoing computed tomography (CT) scans, which expose mothers and fetuses to radiation. Pregnant women are warned to minimize radiation exposure.

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Prosthetic arm

Prosthetic arm can sense touch, move with your thoughts

09 August 2019

Keven Walgamott had a good “feeling” about picking up the egg without crushing it. What seems simple for nearly everyone else can be more of a Herculean task for Walgamott, who lost his left hand and part of his arm in an electrical accident 17 years ago. But he was testing out the prototype of a high-tech prosthetic arm with fingers that not only can move, they can move with his thoughts. And thanks to a biomedical engineering team at the University of Utah, he “felt” the egg well enough so his brain could tell the prosthetic hand not to squeeze too hard.

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Mobile app

Mobile app tests impact of mental health on cognitive performance

07 August 2019

Researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and University College London (UCL) have developed a mobile app which allows users to track how their mood and emotions impact their cognitive performance.

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Notified bodies

Australia on watch for EU notified bodies shortage

05 August 2019

Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) said it is aware of industry concern about whether a sufficient number of notified bodies will be designated under the new European Union Medical Device Regulation in time for the May 2020 effective date. The Australian regulator said it is monitoring the situation and will consider the impact on manufacturers seeking certification for new products or looking to maintain existing certification. The agency also said it has expanded the range of assessments and approvals from overseas regulators that medical device makers can use when submitting applications for inclusion in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods.

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medtech optical imaging

Ultrasound-assisted optical imaging to replace endoscopy

02 August 2019

Carnegie Mellon University’s Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Maysam Chamanzar and ECE Ph.D. student Matteo Giuseppe Scopelliti today published research that introduces a novel technique which uses ultrasound to noninvasively take optical imaging through a turbid medium such as biological tissue to image body’s organs. This new method has the potential to eliminate the need for invasive visual exams using endoscopic cameras.

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Tarek Sharaf

My first month at… Esaote Europe

31 July 2019

The “My first month at…” column will elaborate on the experiences of professionals who recently started their new job in the medical devices industry.

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nanowear medicine, healthcare, technology and people concept - close up of male hand holding and showing transparent smartphone

Nanowear to launch trial of heart failure-monitoring underwear

29 July 2019

Nanowear said today that it has launched a heart failure management and alert diagnostic validation study of its medical-grade, cloth-based nanosensor technology.

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brain

Medtronic to distribute Viz.ai’s stroke-spotting AI imaging software

25 July 2019

Medtronic is tapping Viz.ai, a developer of artificial intelligence programs to help spot strokes, for a distribution partnership to bring its technology to more hospitals and centers.

Viz.ai’s software links with CT scanners to identify and triage potential large vessel occlusion strokes, or LVOs, and can automatically notify specialists while providing the radiological images to their smartphones.

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Heart muscle

New implant uses microcurrent to strengthen heart muscle

23 July 2019

A clinical study by the Medical University of Vienna and Vienna General Hospital has demonstrated that Berlin Heals’ electroceutical device can exercise and strengthen the heart muscle in people with cardiomyopathy. The implant delivers a microcurrent to stimulate cell regeneration in the affected heart muscle. This is expected to help patients avoid or delay heart transplant surgery.

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3D mapping

3D body mapping device improves post-chemo cell therapy success

19 July 2019

Purdue University researchers have developed a 3D mapping technology to monitor and track the behaviour of engineered tissues and cells.

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Measure eyes

Low-cost retinal scanner could help prevent blindness worldwide

17 July 2019

Biomedical engineers at Duke University have developed a low-cost, portable optical coherence tomography (OCT) scanner that promises to bring the vision-saving technology to underserved regions throughout the United States and abroad.

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Doctor using tablet computer

Wearable body patch allows early detection of sepsis

15 July 2019

A body-worn monitoring system developed by UK-based Isansys Lifecare has the potential to speed up sepsis diagnosis in hospitals.

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René Favaloro

Google Doodle honours pioneering heart surgeon René Favaloro

12 July 2019

“‘We’ is more important than ‘I.’ In medicine, the advances are always the result of many efforts accumulated over the years,” wrote Dr. René Favaloro, the Argentinian surgeon who introduced coronary artery bypass surgery into clinical practice and is celebrated in today’s Doodle.

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gdpr

GDPR: Study highlights data protection challenges for research

12 July 2019

The introduction of laws like the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) can complicate the operations of scientific journals and funding bodies, according an Uppsala University-led study presented at the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics.

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ai

AI tool for smart speakers could save lives

10 July 2019

Researchers at the University of Washington have developed a new contactless artificial intelligence (AI) tool to monitor at-risk patients for cardiac arrest, even when they’re asleep.

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medical imaging

Scientists discover new medical imaging method

08 July 2019

In an advance for medical imaging, scientists from University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center have discovered a method for creating radioactive tracers to better track pharmaceuticals in the body as well as image diseases, such as cancer, and other medical conditions.

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screening

Parkinson’s disease new discovery could lead to new screening tools

05 July 2019

Changes to the serotonin system of the brain could act as a crucial early warning signal for Parkinson’s disease and may lead to the development of new screening tools for the chronic condition.

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stroke

Music-based therapeutic for stroke survivors

03 July 2019

What if the steady beats of music, coupled with personalized neuroscience, could help stroke survivors regain their ability to walk?

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ultrasound AI

AI in ultrasound, threat or chance?

01 July 2019

Blog by Stevan Stuit – Former diagnostic radiographer and diagnostic medical sonographer

It is everywhere in the news nowadays; the pros and cons of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The influence of AI on economics, labour and our position.

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Prostetics

Autonomous brain-computer interface to enable robotic prosthetics

26 June 2019

Engineers at the University of Houston in the US have found that a brain-computer interface (BCI) could allow the development of robotic prosthetics with a more natural performance.

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detect

‘Virtual biopsy’ device to detect skin tumours

24 June 2019

Using sound vibrations and pulses of near-infrared light, a Rutgers University scientist has developed a new “virtual biopsy” device that can quickly determine a skin lesion’s depth and potential malignancy without using a scalpel.

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parkinson's

Ultrasound to enable targeted drug delivery for brain diseases

21 June 2019

Columbia Engineering researchers have devised an ultrasound-based technique to restore dopaminergic pathway in the brain of patients with Parkinson’s disease.

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repair

Trial stem cell heart patches for damage repair

19 June 2019

Researchers from Imperial College London have devised an approach to grow heart patches made of up to 50 million human stem cells as part of a project funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

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medfit banner

MedFit 2019

17 June 2019

Held on the 25th and 26th of June 2019 in Lille – France, and gathering 700 international participants from over 25 countries, MedFit is the leading European business convention dedicated to innovation partnerships in the fields of medical technology, diagnostics and digital health sector.

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acquisition

Thermo Fisher agrees to terminate $925m Gatan acquisition

14 June 2019

Thermo Fisher Scientific has agreed to abandon the proposed acquisition of Gatan from software developer Roper Technologies.

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depression

Home-based brain stimulation treatment for depression launches in UK

12 June 2019

An at-home, medical-grade brain stimulation headset has launched in the UK, and claims to offer an alternative to pharmacological treatment for depression. The system is used in conjunction with a therapy app. 

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interview egbert edelbroek

Born in space in 2028

07 June 2019

Interview with Dr. Egbert Edelbroek – CEO & Founder SpaceBorn United

SpaceBorn United is determined to become the first company that will enable childbirth in space by 2028. Says CEO & Founder, Dr. Egbert Edelbroek: “It is not going to be an easy journey. Space is a hostile environment for living organisms.”

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virtual reality

UK researchers test virtual reality technology to detect Alzheimer’s

05 June 2019

Researchers at University of Cambridge in the UK have found that virtual reality (VR) could detect early Alzheimer’s disease more accurately compared to existing ‘gold standard’ cognitive tests.

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medical imaging

Thinking outside the box: ‘Seeing’ clearer and deeper into live organs

03 June 2019

Scientists using a unique approach have developed a new biomedical imaging contrast agent. They say the breakthrough overcomes a major challenge to “seeing” deeper into live tissue, and opens the way for significant improvements in optical imaging technology.

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Arthur Jacobs

My first month at… Illumina

31 May 2019

The “My first month…” column will elaborate on the experiences of professionals who recently started their new job in the medical devices industry.

This article is about the experiences of  Arthur Jacobs (51) who recently started as a Trade Compliance Specialist at Illumina. We asked him a few questions about his first month at Illumina. If you want to know more about the company, Arthur and his experiences working at Illumina. Then keep on reading.

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cold chain

The cold facts about the cold chain in medical devices

29 May 2019

Blog by Tim Broekhuizen – Regional Manager, Centre of Excellence, Supply Chain Management (APAC) at DKSH

Tim Broekhuizen is a Dutch national, currently stationed in Asia as Regional Manager, Center of Excellence, Supply Chain Management (APAC) at DKSH.

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algorithm

AI surpasses humans in predicting heart attack and death

27 May 2019

An algorithm has learned how to identify imaging patterns correlating to heart attack and death in cardiac patients and can predict the occurrence of these events with superior accuracy to human doctors, according to a study presented at 2019’s International Conference on Nuclear Cardiology and Cardiac CT (ICNC) in Lisbon, Portugal.

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risk management

All you want to know about risk management and medical devices

24 May 2019

Interview with Bijan Elahi – Global Product Risk-Management Consultant and Educator at Medtronic

Bijan Elahi is an engineer, a teacher and an author with one goal: helping people to produce the safest medical products.

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Robot

CMR surgical’s versius completes initial surgical procedures in humans

22 May 2019

UK-based medical equipment maker CMR Surgical has announced the completion of the first series of human surgical procedures using its Versius surgical robotic system as part of a clinical study in India.

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sugar

Train your brain to eat less sugar

20 May 2019

More than half of American adults consume excess added sugars, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Major dietary guidelines recommend limiting foods high in added sugars.

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lundbeck

Lundbeck strikes $250M Abide buyout, bagging Tourette’s drug

17 May 2019

Lundbeck is set to pay $250 million (€223 million) upfront to buy Abide Therapeutics. The deal will give Lundbeck a phase 2a Tourette’s syndrome program, a central nervous system drug discovery platform and a West Coast research hub.

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revascularisation device

Medtronic introduces new revascularisation device in US

15 May 2019

Irish medical device company Medtronic has launched Solitaire X, a revascularisation device intended to treat patients with acute ischemic stroke, in the US.

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blood

Study finds Abbott’s Troponin-I blood test predict heart disease risks

13 May 2019

Abbott’s new study has found that its High Sensitive Troponin-I blood test is capable of predicting heart disease risks in people with no symptoms.

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swallowable

Scientists develop swallowable self-inflating capsule to help tackle obesity

10 May 2019

A team from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and the National University Health System (NUHS) has developed a self-inflating weight management capsule that could be used to treat obese patients.

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bcf

Ready for a challenge?

08 May 2019

Are you looking for an entry-level job or do you want to change positions in the medical devices sector?

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ethicon

US court orders J&J to pay $120m in damages over pelvic mesh implant

06 May 2019

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) subsidiary Ethicon has been ordered to pay $120m in damages by a Philadelphia court after it ruled that its negligently designed pelvic mesh implant caused a Pennsylvania woman to suffer from incontinence and chronic pain, Law360 has reported.

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radiology

Four ways virtual, augmented reality could change radiology forever

03 May 2019

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies have the potential to dramatically change healthcare and could impact the practice of radiology in a number of ways.

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ptsd

AI-driven voice analysis used to diagnose post-traumatic stress disorder

01 May 2019

A study published in Depression and Anxiety has revealed that a specially designed artificial intelligence (AI) can diagnose post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) through vocal biomarkers.

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medical imaging

Making digital tissue imaging better

29 April 2019

There’s a low-tech problem troubling the high-tech world of digital pathology imaging.The issue: Even as digital pathology makes rapid advances worldwide

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mri

New MRI technology could measure brain function in milliseconds

26 April 2019

Scientists have developed a new technique to measure brain function in milliseconds using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

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smartwatch

Researchers build 3D-printed heart out of patient’s donor cells

24 April 2019

Researchers in Israel have printed a three-dimensional human heart using bioinks developed from a patient’s own cells, which they say makes it completely biocompatible with the donor.

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pet

New PET imaging biomarker could better predict progression of Alzheimer’s disease

22 April 2019

Researchers have discovered a way to better predict progression of Alzheimer’s disease. By imaging microglial activation levels with positron emission tomography (PET), researchers were able to better predict progression of the disease than with beta-amyloid PET imaging, according to a study published in the April issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

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acquisition

J&J concludes $3.4bn Auris Health acquisition

19 April 2019

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) subsidiary Ethicon has closed a $3.4bn acquisition of surgical robotics developer Auris Health.

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cancer

Laser technology helps researchers scrutinize cancer cells

17 April 2019

Devising the best treatment for a patient with cancer requires doctors to know something about the traits of the cancer from which the patient is suffering. But one of the greatest difficulties in treating cancer is that cancer cells are not all the same.

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ultrasound

Ultrasound aligns living cells in bioprinted tissues

15 April 2019

North Carolina State University researchers have developed a technique to improve the characteristics of engineered tissues by using ultrasound to align living cells during the biofabrication process.

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quality control

Total Quality Management for Cold Chain: A-SMART and 5C method

12 April 2019

In an article on cold chain vaccine delivery, Matthias, D.M. (et al)* state that in developing countries 22% of the healthcare cold chain products are prone to damage during storage. Although Asia is developing, it is yet to be fully matured in various aspects, especially when it comes to cold chain management.

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AI

AI improves contouring accuracy for radiation oncology

08 April 2019

An artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm can provide accurate, fast, and automated contouring of primary tumor volumes on multiparametric MR images of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients, potentially improving outcomes from radiation therapy, according to research.

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imaging

Diattenuation imaging: Promising imaging technique for brain research

01 April 2019

A new imaging method provides structural information about brain tissue that was previously difficult to access. Diattenuation Imaging (DI), developed by scientists at Forschungszentrum Jülich and the University of Groningen, allows researchers to differentiate, e.g., regions with many thin nerve fibres from regions with few thick nerve fibres.

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Total quality management for cold chain at DKSH

Total quality management for cold chain at DKSH

29 March 2019

Watch this video to learn more about cold chain management.

At DKSH we understand that cold chain management is about process, assets and people. Learn more about our unique research-based method called: “Total quality management for cold-chain” which ensures that every step in the cold chain is secured across our network of regional distribution centers. 

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pregnancy

Cancer imaging technology can help reveal life-threatening pregnancy disorder

27 March 2019

An imaging technique used to detect some forms of cancer can also help detect preeclampsia in pregnancy before it becomes a life-threatening condition, a new Tulane study says.

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eye

Hydrogel contact lens to treat serious eye disease

25 March 2019

Researchers at the University of New Hampshire have created a hydrogel that could one day be made into a contact lens to more effectively treat corneal melting, a condition that is a significant cause for blindness worldwide.

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Autolus

New optical imaging system could be deployed to find tiny tumors

22 March 2019

Many types of cancer could be more easily treated if they were detected at an earlier stage. MIT researchers have now developed an imaging system, named “DOLPHIN,” which could enable them to find tiny tumors, as small as a couple of hundred cells, deep within the body.

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Medical Devices Catherinea Jones

New Medical Devices Regulation – “Notified Bodies face a huge workload”

20 March 2019

Blog by Catherinea Jones – Quality Assurance Specialist

On April 5th, 2017, the EU adopted the new Medical Devices Regulation (MDR), replacing the two existing directives: the Medical Devices Directive (MDD) and Active Implantable Medical Devices Directives (AIMD). What does this change mean for the industry? We spoke to Catherinea Jones, who works as a Quality Assurance Specialist. “This is a massive operation.”

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Siemens acquisition

Fresenius Medical Care closes $2bn NxStage Medical acquisition

15 March 2019

German dialysis products and services company Fresenius Medical Care has completed the $2bn acquisition of US-based medical devices maker NxStage Medical, after receiving clearance from the US antitrust authorities.

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Doctor and a nurse looking at a computer screen

Philips unveils new EPIQ Elite ultrasound line, with vascular imaging capabilities

08 March 2019

Philips has launched its new EPIQ Elite ultrasound system, offering a range of diagnostic solutions for different medical specialties, including the company’s first for vascular assessments.

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Devices of diabetes testing

New pill can deliver insulin

25 February 2019

An MIT-led research team has developed a drug capsule that could be used to deliver oral doses of insulin, potentially replacing the injections that people with type 1 diabetes have to give themselves every day.

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Medical tablet with screen as copy space

UCI biomedical engineers develop wearable respiration monitor with children’s toy

18 February 2019

Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have developed a wearable, disposable respiration monitor that provides high-fidelity readings on a continuous basis. It’s designed to help children with asthma and cystic fibrosis and others with chronic pulmonary conditions.

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Ultrasound

Ultra ultrasound to transform new tech

15 February 2019

A new and extremely sensitive method of measuring ultrasound could revolutionise everything from medical devices to unmanned vehicles. 

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two lenses

J&J launches new intraocular lens for cataract patients in Europe

13 February 2019

Johnson & Johnson Vision has launched its TECNIS Eyhance intraocular lens for the treatment of cataracts in European commercial markets.

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MRI Scan

Going for an MRI scan with tattoos?

11 February 2019

According to Weiskopf, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig (MPI CBS), .” ..the most important questions for us were: Can we conduct our studies with tattooed subjects without hesitation?

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equipment and science experiments ,laboratory glassware containing chemical

Physics can show us the inside of tumors

07 February 2019

A team of physicists at the Institut Lumière Matière (CNRS/Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1), in collaboration with the Cancer Research Center of Lyon (CNRS/INSERM/ Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1//Centre Léon Bérard/Hospices civils de Lyon), has demonstrated the potential, for oncology, of an imaging technique based only on the physical properties of tumors. 

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FDA

Empatica secures FDA clearance for paediatric use of epilepsy smartband

04 February 2019

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab spin-off, Empatica, has received the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance for the use of its Embrace epilepsy smartband for children.

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cells

Ares Genetics gains funds to advance AI-based diagnostic

31 January 2019

Ares Genetics, a unit of molecular diagnostics developer Curetis, has secured funding from the Vienna Business Agency to support the development of an artificial intelligence (AI)-based diagnostic test called ARESupa.

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3D-printed

Surgeons successfully implant rib produced by 3D printer

28 January 2019

The patient had a tumour formation in the fifth right rib accompanied by swelling and pain. It was thought to be a congenital disease that could lead to weakening of the chest and problems associated with physical strain, including difficulty breathing.

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tumor

Physics can show us the inside of tumors

25 January 2019

A team of physicists at the Institut Lumière Matière (CNRS/Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1), in collaboration with the Cancer Research Center of Lyon (CNRS/INSERM/ Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1//Centre Léon Bérard/Hospices civils de Lyon), has demonstrated the potential, for oncology, of an imaging technique based only on the physical properties of tumors.

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Blood

Swedish researchers develop ‘painless’ glucose monitoring system

23 January 2019

A research team at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden is developing a glucose monitoring device that is said to be 50 times smaller than the needles used in existing continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems.

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Doctor's equipment

Generex to buy Pantheon Medical

21 January 2019

Integrated healthcare company Generex Biotechnology has signed a letter of intent (LOI) to acquire surgical devices firm Pantheon Medical – Foot & Ankle. The deal covers all assets, including business operations, accounts receivable and inventory, contracts, and a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) letter for balanced plating system.

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lungs

Engineers create an inhalable form of messenger RNA

17 January 2019

Messenger RNA, which can induce cells to produce therapeutic proteins, holds great promise for treating a variety of diseases. The biggest obstacle to this approach so far has been finding safe and efficient ways to deliver mRNA molecules to the target cells.

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Artificial Intelligence

AI predicts cancer patients’ symptoms

14 January 2019

Doctors could get a head start treating cancer thanks to new AI developed at the University of Surrey that is able to predict symptoms and their severity throughout the course of a patient’s treatment.

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brains

US researchers develop neurostimulator to treat brain disorders

11 January 2019

University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) researchers in the US have developed a neurostimulator called WAND to help treat neurological disorders such as epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease.

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Jim Ryan

Living in a Wheelchair

09 January 2019

Blog by Jim Ryan – A Quadriplegic

It has been a while since I have added to the blog. I had a very busy November coupled with 10 days of being sick. In December I had a few calm weeks, but the during the Christmas holiday it was quite hectic again. In this blog I will tell you more about my wheelchair, and how I am able to move with it.

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knee

Novel imaging technique brings diagnostic potential into operating room

04 January 2019

A team of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign researchers led by Professor Stephen Boppart has successfully visualised the tumor microenvironment of human breast tissue shortly after it was surgically removed from a patient in the operating room. The researchers achieved this using a new portable optical imaging system developed in Boppart’s lab.

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Implantable device

Implantable device aids weight loss

02 January 2019

More than 700 million adults and children worldwide are obese, according to a 2017 study that called the growing number and weight-related health problems a “rising pandemic.
New battery-free, easily implantable weight-loss devices developed by engineers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison could offer a promising new weapon for battling the bulge. 

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medical devices

Academic takes aim at plastics use in medtech

28 December 2018

Dr Simon Werrett, a science historian and professor at University College London has researched the use of plastic in the medical industry and how it may be reduced.

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christmas

We would like to wish you a merry Christmas!

25 December 2018

On behalf of the Medical Devices Community, we would like to wish you a merry Christmas!

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Revision of Medical Devices

Management of medical device files with ISO 13485:2016

24 December 2018

Blog by S.M. Waqas Imam, Industrial Engineer, Certified Lead Auditor, Blog Writer and Ambassador of the Medical Devices Community

ISO Technical Committee (TC 210) mandates the requirements of medical device files in the latest version of ISO 13485:2016 in order to make a consistent work flow for manufacturers and suppliers in the medical devices industry.

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Supply Chain

Supply Chain: Systems and People

21 December 2018

Blog by Marc Baggen, Supply Chain Consultant.

In my previous blog, I explained the importance of process understanding within your company. Supply chain has multiple processes as the base.

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Calysta

Trade Secrets

17 December 2018

Blog written by Guy Breitenstein, Senior IP Attorney – Contracting, Trade Secrets and Data

One of the biggest challenges for companies in the medical devices industry is to protect their innovative work. These innovations relate to all aspects of medical devices, all the way from the chemistry to the device design to the software. Innovations are often the result of years of research and development and represent a significant investment.

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Andaman7

By patients for patients

14 December 2018

Interview with Geert Dewulf , The Vice President Sales of Andaman7

Currently, access to personal medical data from patients in the healthcare industry is difficult. Although it is accepted that the most accurate information is needed to help patients, to improve the quality of clinical trials or the production of new drugs, getting this information is becoming more and more difficult because of legitimate hurdles linked with privacy and GDPR.

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virtual reality

Hospital Trust begins using virtual reality to treat visual vertigo

12 December 2018

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has installed a virtual reality computer gaming suite at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital and could be used in the home of the patients over time.

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FDA approved de novo pathway

FDA proposes more transparent de novo pathway

10 December 2018

The US Food and drug Administration (FDA) has proposed revisions to the de novo pathway in order to make medical device classification more efficient and transparent.

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tablet with whole body scan

Human images from world’s first total-body scanner unveiled

07 December 2018

EXPLORER, the world’s first medical imaging scanner that can capture a 3-D picture of the whole human body at once, has produced its first scans.

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MRI Scan

MRI scans show promise in predicting dementia

05 December 2018

One day, MRI brain scans may help predict whether older people will develop dementia, new research suggests.

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medical devices

Medical device regulation: Is a national database the right solution to unsafe devices?

03 December 2018

An investigation led by International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) has found that many patients could have been fitted with devices such as pacemakers and hip replacements that are unsafe due to weak medical device regulation.

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ICU fan

From an ICU ventilator to fully automatic ventilation

28 November 2018

Blog written by Dick van Ginkel, Technician

Over the years there have been multiple impacts on ICU ventilators, due to the development of automatisation. ICU ventilators are breathing machines meant to temporally take over the complete breathing of people or partly support the breathing process.

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AI

AI in Healthcare: 5 Real-World Examples

26 November 2018

The examples of AI and its applications in healthcare potentially offer affordable healthcare, efficient clinical trials, improved success rates, and a better quality of life.

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Brexit

What does the Brexit draft agreement mean for medical devices

23 November 2018

The UK government has released a draft agreement regarding the withdrawal of the UK from the European Union along with a joint statement and outline of a political declaration on the future relationship between the UK and the EU.

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Medical Technology - CT Scanner

Digital Radiology Advantages

21 November 2018

Digital radiography (DR) is increasingly used in radiology practice, as the trend towards paperless and filmless radiography advances. DR is based on the use of X-rays for data acquisition with direct or indirect conversion to electrical charge using various detection-charge conversion systems.

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Heart

AI algorithm outperformed majority of Cardiologists

19 November 2018

At the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2018, Eko, a cardiac monitoring company that combines non-invasive sensors with machine learning, presented a clinical study abstract revealing the first murmur detection algorithm to outperform the majority of participating cardiologists in a clinical study.

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Brain

Unique brain activity pattern may help detect schizophrenia early

16 November 2018

Neuroscientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have found a correlation between a brain activity pattern and the development of schizophrenia.

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Artificial Intelligence

UK to open five new AI medical centres to boost disease diagnosis

14 November 2018

The UK Government has announced plans to open five new centres of excellence focussed on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for digital pathology and medical imaging.

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E.coli detector

Detecting E.coli Strains Using Molecular Electronics

12 November 2018

Finding a fast and inexpensive way to detect specific strains of bacteria and viruses is critical to food safety, water quality, environmental protection and human health. However, current methods for detecting illness-causing strains of bacteria such as E. coli require either time-intensive biological cell cultures or DNA amplification approaches that rely on expensive laboratory equipment.

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Jim Ryan

Quadriplegic Cruising

09 November 2018

Blog by Jim Ryan – A Quadriplegic

This month my wife, my son Daniel and myself had the opportunity of a lifetime and enjoyed the 22-day Panama Canal cruise from Vancouver, BC, Canada to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This is the culmination of one of my life long dreams.

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Brexit

A no-deal Brexit: What will it mean for the Medical Devices Industry?

07 November 2018

The Home Affairs Sub-Committee of The Select Committee on the European Union met in the House of Lords today to discuss how the UK’s access to medicines and medical devices could be affected in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

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Needle

Tiny, pain-free vaccinations: microneedles and nanoparticles

04 November 2018

If it’s up to PhD student Guangsheng Du, patients don’t need to worry about big needles anymore. At the Leiden Academic Center for Drug Research (LACDR), he studied the use of microneedles and nanoparticles as a new vaccination system. ‘I want to create a more patient-friendly delivery method.’ He defends his PhD on 30 October.

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tumor

UK researchers discover early detection of cancer approach

02 November 2018

Researchers at Edinburgh University in the UK have discovered a new approach that leverages mathematical methods devised by Second World War codebreaker Alan Turing for detecting a variety of diseases, including cancer, in advance.

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3D-printed

3D printed medical devices: a tough trial for regulation?

01 November 2018

The use of 3D printing in the medical industry is revolutionary and has huge potential. However, it also causes many issues for regulating bodies as theoretically anyone with a 3D printer and a blueprint could print their own devices, not just registered companies.

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Supply Chain

Supply Chain: An easy job?

28 October 2018

Blog by Marc Baggen

In the industry I sometimes hear people say: “Supply chain, that is easy. Do some planning and send out the goods to the customers.’’ Yes, this is a good starting point, but far from complete. In a modern supply chain there is much more, especially in the Medical Devices Industry.

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First aid

Could AI ‘Audrey’ be the future first response assistant?

24 October 2018

Imagine a first responder answering the call to a natural disaster, a house fire, or an active shooter incident where there may be multiple injuries and unknown casualties. The information the responder needs to fulfill the mission is immeasurable.

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medical imaging

University of Bremen launches new study in Medical Computing

22 October 2018

The Fraunhofer MEVIS Institute for Medical Image Computing – in short: Fraunhofer MEVIS – is one of the world’s leading research centers in digital medicine. In order to prepare computer science students for challenges in this area, the institute and the University of Bremen are now cooperating even more closely in teaching. This winter semester saw the introduction of a new study area called Medical Computing in the Faculty of Mathematics / Computer Science.

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Cyber crime

Do people fear smart devices for data hacks?

19 October 2018

Recent research carried out by medical device developer and manufacturer Bespak, has suggested that data security concerns could be delaying a rollout of potentially lifesaving smart inhaler products. These smart inhaler products could be utilised by users and result in the prevention of around 800 asthma deaths a year in the UK alone.  

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AI

A look at technical advancements in the medical devices industry

17 October 2018

We spoke to Peter Tacken, Supply Chain Manager at Bausch & Lomb, about the biggest technical advancements in Supply Chain development, how they currently are, and could possibly influence the medical devices industry in the future. These technological changes are also known as the fourth industrial revolution. We asked Peter about his thoughts and opinions on these changes, as well as their pros and cons.

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Eye

RightEye Eye-Tracking System Receives FDA 510(k) Clearance

15 October 2018

RightEye LLC, an award-winning health technology company that uses eye tracking to revolutionize patient care and improve vision performance, today announced that the company’s vision system has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA has cleared the RightEye™ system for recording, viewing, and analyzing eye movements in support of identifying visual tracking impairment in patients.

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Blood

Needle-Free Diabetes Care: 7 Devices that Painlessly Measure Blood Glucose

12 October 2018

Will the daily routine of finger pricking to monitor blood glucose levels finally come to an end for the millions living with diabetes?

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Jim Ryan

”My accident and my ceiling lift”

10 October 2018

Blog by Jim Ryan, a quadriplegic

As I mentioned in my previous blog, I will talk about my accident, some about my recovery and I will start with the lift my health care workers use to move me from my wheelchair to my bed and back again.

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Cancer cells

New Study Finds Nanoparticles Show Promise in Therapy for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

08 October 2018

Approximately 10-20 percent of diagnosed breast cancers are found to be triple-negative, meaning the breast cancer cells test negative for estrogen and progesterone receptors as well as HER2 receptors, genes that can play a role in the development of breast cancer. Triple-negative breast cancer can be more aggressive and difficult to treat as the cancer cells do not respond to hormonal therapies or therapies that target HER2 receptors.

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FDA

Boston Scientific’s Eluvia Peripheral Long Term Drug Eluting Stent FDA Approved

05 October 2018

Boston Scientific won FDA regulatory approval to introduce the Eluvia drug-eluting vascular stent to the U.S. market. The device is the first peripheral stent to offer sustained release of an antiproliferative drug (paclitaxel) for as long as a full year. The drug prevents restenosis, a common condition caused by native tissue growing over the stent.

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Handheld device

University of Glasgow unveils Star Trek-inspired diagnostic device

03 October 2018

Star Trek-inspired handheld device based on a silicon chip could help make rapid, sophisticated medical diagnostics more accessible to people around the world, scientists say.

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Training

This is why Quality Training is so important! 

01 October 2018

Blog by Ruud Lans, Quality and Regulatory Affairs Consultant

In the world of Medical Devices, most people are familiair with quality assurance and the regulatory requirements. But not everyone is known with the ins and outs of quality assurance, and that is why Quality Training is important. Below you can find which quality topics are important and§ which techniques are useful for employers and employees.

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Deal

Medtronic set to acquire Mazor Robotics

28 September 2018

On September 20, Medtronic announced a definitive agreement to acquire Israel-based Mazor Robotics for $1.6bn, with the acquisition expected to close in Q3 of Medtronic’s FY2019. This deal is the culmination of a nearly two-and-a-half-year partnership for the two companies.

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scan

Google’s AI tool can determine lung cancer type from images

26 September 2018

A new study by a New York University (NYU) School of Medicine research team has found that a type of artificial intelligence (AI) tool called Inception v3 from Google can determine lung cancer types by analysing images of tumours.

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bloodpressure

iPhone app to monitor blood pressure

24 September 2018

A research team at Michigan State University (MSU) has developed a proof-of-concept iPhone app that can deliver accurate blood pressure readings.

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Dizzy

Researchers develop new testing device to better diagnose dizziness

21 September 2018

Half of over-65s suffer from dizziness and problems with balance. But some tests to identify the causes of such problems are painful and can risk hearing damage. Now, researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have developed a new testing device using bone conduction technology, that offers significant advantages over the current tests.

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Regulatory

Louis Meessen: Steps and regulations to follow when releasing a medical device

19 September 2018

August 2018, Louis Meessen, Project Manager product innovation hi-tech. In my role as Project Manager in product innovation, I had to follow the procedures as we had defined in our Product Creation Procedur to fulfil regulations needed for a medical device release.

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The Future of Medical Devices - 3D printing

How close are 3D printed organs to reality?

17 September 2018

The financial year of 2017/18 saw the highest number of organs ever donated in the UK. However, as organ donation figures continue to rise so too does the demand for transplants. By 2020 a new opt-out system for organ donation could be put in place across England if parliament approves “Max’s Law”.

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Brain

A Tiny Neural Implants Even Your Brain Can Love

14 September 2018

At Draper, medical implants are slimming down and getting connected, too. Draper’s latest system is tiny in size, but is poised to make a big impact in treating disease through its networked abilities.

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Jim Ryan

What is it like being a Quadriplegic?

12 September 2018

My name is Jim Ryan, I am from Canada and I am a full quadriplegic. Many people suffer from quadriplegia which means the partial or complete paralysis of all four limbs. A lot of quadriplegics will be mistaken as paraplegics as they have enough upper body strength to push themselves in their wheelchair, feed themselves and get around on their own.

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Growth

Inside Costa Rica’s super-sized medical device sector

10 September 2018

In 2017, medical devices became Costa Rica’s top export, surpassing the agricultural sector for the first time in the country’s history. With more than 70 medical device companies operating in Costa Rica, how has this small nation managed to develop such a successful and fast-growing medical technology sector?

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Heart

A novel approach to cardiac surgery

07 September 2018

Second-year medical student Kevin Cyr is part of a team of Stanford researchers investigating new ways to survey electricity in the heart. The research has led to the development of cardiac surgical devices that could one day help patients who suffer from a common heart ailment. I’m using 3D-printed tools to design cardiac-mapping catheters, devices used by surgeons to map the electrical activity of the heart and find disturbances,” says Cyr.

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QA

How to Manage Non-Conformances?

05 September 2018

Blog by Ruud Lans, Quality and Regulatory Affairs Consultant
Almost every company will have to deal with non-conformances at one point, whether relatively minor or potentially major. In the Medical Devices Industry, these non-conformances can cause serious problems, and there for the way of handling such problems is important. Here are a few tips for dealing with them, or being proactive to mitigate them:

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MRI

Facebook and NYU School of Medicine launch research collaboration to improve MRI

31 August 2018

Facebook and NYU School of Medicine’s Department of Radiology are excited to announce fastMRI, a new collaborative research project that will investigate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to make magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans up to 10 times faster. If this effort is successful, it will make MRI technology available to more people, expanding access to this key diagnostic tool.

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Tuberculosis

Imaging technique can spot tuberculosis infection in an hour

29 August 2018

A research team led by a Stanford University School of Medicine professor has developed an imaging technique that can diagnose live tuberculosis (TB) in an hour and help monitor the efficacy of treatments.

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Artificial Pancreas

OHSU professor conducts clinical trial with artificial pancreas using Xeris’ liquid glucagon

24 August 2018

Xeris Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company leveraging its novel technology platforms to develop and commercialize ready-to-use injectable and infusible drug formulations, announced today that Jessica Castle, M.D., an associate professor of medicine in the OHSU School of Medicine and OHSU Harold Schnitzer Diabetes Health Center in Portland, Oregon, is conducting a clinical trial with a dual-hormone artificial pancreas using Xeris’ ready-to-use liquid glucagon to evaluate a new closed-loop algorithm.

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Medtech

Artificial Intelligence: The Game Changer of Medtech

20 August 2018

The year 2018 has seen a good influx of innovative medical devices. Artificial intelligence (AI) serves as a critical component in most of these novel devices.

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Expanding

Clinical Innovations expands into China with new subsidiary

15 August 2018

Clinical Innovations continued its march toward global expansion, launching a new subsidiary in Shanghai to grow the company’s presence in the Chinese labor and delivery market. 

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Big data

Evidation raises $30M alongside launch of new big data platform

10 August 2018

Health data company Evidation Health raised $30 million in a series C round, bringing its total funding to $61 million, alongside the launch of a new platform built to digest large-scale sensor and behavioral data from real-world settings.

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Surgical Robots

Growing a surgical robot

08 August 2018

Following the success of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for a number of indications and surgical specialities, medical device companies have turned to surgical robotics as the next big innovation.

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The Future of Medical Devices - 3D printing

3D printing in the medical field: four major applications revolutionising the industry

07 August 2018

3D printing has many functions in a variety of industries, however, in the medical field it has four main applications.

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implant

To incorporate wearable tech into total knee replacements

30 July 2018

Johnson & Johnson’s DePuy Synthes is linking up with 360 Knee Systems, an Australian developer of digital solutions for personalizing total knee replacements, including the construction of 3D models for virtual surgery planning, wearable devices and mapping patients’ kinetic movement.

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Medical Technology - CT Scanner

Radiation from CT scans can increase risk brain cancer

26 July 2018

A study led by Netherlands Cancer Institute has revealed an increased risk of brain cancer in children that receive computed tomography (CT) head scans. High doses of ionising radiation are emitted during a CT scan, which may cause the DNA mutations that lead to cancer.

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Glucose

Senseonics’ recently approved implantable glucose monitor wins real-world accuracy study

11 July 2018

A three-way comparison of continuous glucose monitoring devices found that Senseonics’ recently approved Eversense implantable monitor was significantly more accurate than the Dexcom G5 and the Abbott Freestyle Libre Pro.

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Takeover

Thermo Fisher Scientific to buy Gatan for $925m

06 July 2018

Diagnostic products maker Thermo Fisher Scientific has signed a definitive agreement to acquire software developer Roper Technologies’ wholly owned subsidiary Gatan for about $925m.

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scientist

HKBU unveils new device to enable safe growth of neural stem cells

27 June 2018

Researchers from Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) have developed a device containing a specific nanotechnology layer to enable the in vitro proliferation of neural stem cells(NSCs). The research team was jointly led by Department of Biology professor Ken Yung Kin-lam and Department of Physics associate professor Dr Jeffery Huang Zhifeng.

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Blood Pressure

‘Smart stent’ detects narrowing of arteries

21 June 2018

A research team from the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada has developed a ‘smart stent’ that can monitor even subtle changes in the blood flow of arteries, allowing the detection of narrowing in its earliest stages and making early diagnosis and treatment possible.

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Robot

This robot is able to perform surgery

25 May 2018

This robot, created by researchers at the Max Planck Intitute, is able to perform surgery. Isn’t medical technology amazing?

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MRI

Imaging method reveals effects of treatment for mutant IDH1 gliomas

24 May 2018

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in the US have used magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) imaging to investigate the mechanisms behind a potential targeted treatment for gliomas.

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Algorithm

Algorithm creates reliable sensory feedback for prosthetic arm users

18 May 2018

Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a control algorithm that regulates current so that prosthetic arm users can feel a steady sensation of touch, even if electrodes begin to peel off or sweat builds up.

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Classification of medical devices

Classification of Medical Devices

17 May 2018

A medical device is designed to contribute on improving patient’s health through diagnosis, therapy or surgery which are monitored and under strict regulations by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA has established the classification of medical devices for 1700 different generic types of devices within its industry. How are these types of devices classified, and which devices belongs to what class? The classification of medical devices is explained in this article.

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Starting Your R&D Project - Pitch

Starting your R&D project

17 May 2018

R&D in the medical industry is one of the most, if not the most, important things. With the world being as innovative as it is right now, it is no strange thing that R&D spendings within the medical industry are rising. Not only the big corporations are accountable for this rise in spendings, more and more startups are trying to enter the market. Entering this market can be tricky for startups, especially with all the regulations and the high costs of research and development. A good preparation for starting your R&D project is key, and a few points are mentioned below that can help you with process.

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regulation

The Medical Devices Regulation in Europe

14 May 2018

In 2008, a conference was initiated by the European Commission on the medical devices regulation, which resulted in more than 200 remarks and suggestions for revision of the regulation. Therefore, the European Commission proposed a plan in 2012, of revising the medical devices regulation framework, where the existing directives were going to be replaced.
Read here what these modifications consist of.

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The Future of Medical Devices

The Future of Medical Devices

14 May 2018

With the world becoming more and more technological every day, the medical device industry cannot stay behind. And luckily, it doesn’t. The possibilities are endless, and below you can find five technological innovations that could play a massive part of the future of medical devices.

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r&d

Working in the Research & Development sector

13 May 2018

We had an interview with Luke D. Burke, PhD- Senior Research and Development Engineer, about his experiences within the medical devices industry.

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bertblog

Everything must be better, safer and more sustainable

13 May 2018

Blog by Bert van Boxtel – QA Consultant

During the 80’s, I joined the medical devices industry as a young guy. I chose to work with medical techniques because of idealistic reasons: by creating medical devices I am helping to create a better world. That idea suited me much more than creating luxury products for our consuming behaviour.

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Revision of Medical Devices

The revision of Medical Devices Regulation in Europe

13 May 2018

From pregnancy tests and HIV blood tests to contact lenses and machines in optometry to breast implants and hip replacements. Medical devices include a wide range of products used by patients and doctors. Medical devices are necessary to our health and quality of life. In May 2017, the European Commission decided to do a revision on the medical devices regulation due to an incident that have taken place, and wrong interpretations of these regulations. Read here why this is important.

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Medical Technology - Hearing Aid

10 Groundbreaking Medical Technology Inventions

13 May 2018

Nowadays, we consider most of the medical technology as normal. However, throughout the history of mankind these devices were invented, and these should still be seen as extremely special. These medical devices are still saving lives and making day-to-day life for many people a lot easier. Here are 10 historical inventions that are worth mentioning.

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Artificial Intelligence

Functional connectivity MRI could help detect brain disorders and diseases

12 May 2018

There are no laboratory tests to diagnose migraines, depression, bipolar disorder and many other ailments of the brain. Doctors typically gauge such illnesses based on self-reported symptoms and behavior.

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medtech

Will medtech drive the next Southeastern U.S. industrial revolution?

12 May 2018

One South Carolina startup relies on the Southeastern U.S. history of engineering innovation, new infrastructure and quality of life to drive drug delivery innovation through nanoparticles.

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lungs

Wearable system continuously monitors stomach activity

11 May 2018

California researchers have created an electrocardiogram-like system for the gastrointestinal tract that monitors electrical activity in the stomach over a 24-hour period.

The system is a wearable, non-invasive system that provides GI activity monitoring outside of clinical settings while increasing the chance of identifying abnormal activity. It is a 3D printed portable box that is connected to 10 small wearable electrodes.

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innovation

Why medtech needs innovations in the law department to protect intellectual property

11 May 2018

Here’s the scenario: after investing millions of dollars and years of resources in R&D, your company has received approval to market your cutting-edge medical device. If your flagship device does not establish a strong foothold on the market, the enterprise will likely be doomed and your investors will lose most, if not all, of their capital.

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contact lens

FDA grants clearance for first contact lens with light-adaptive technology

10 May 2018

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today cleared the first contact lens to incorporate an additive that automatically darkens the lens when exposed to bright light. The Acuvue Oasys Contact Lenses with Transitions Light Intelligent Technology are soft contact lenses indicated for daily use to correct the vision of people with non-diseased eyes who are nearsighted (myopia) or farsighted (hyperopia).

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medtech partnerships

Why partnerships between medtech companies and doctors are so important

10 May 2018

As new devices and technologies are being developed in the medtech industry, doctors and physicians have to learn about the devices on platforms that are different from what they know. One way to help make the healthcare provider’s transition into using new devices easier is to forge a partnership between the industry and the physician, according to Laura Dietch, CEO of BioTrace Medical(Menlo Park, Calif.).

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defibrillator

This visor-like device could be a defibrillator for stroke

10 May 2018

A portable, visor-like device has shown potential for detecting emergent large-vessel occlusion with 92% accuracy in patients who may have had a stroke. The researchers suggest that the diagnostic device could be readily accessible to emergency personnel and in public spaces in the same way a defibrillator is available for treating heart attacks.

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Mortality Rate

Study: Laser lead extraction may raise mortality rate

09 May 2018

Laser-based extraction of pacemaker or defibrillator leads could pose a higher risk of death than cutting sheath systems, according to a new meta-analysis study reported by MedscapeIn the analysis, researchers found a ninefold increase in mortality associated with the procedures when they were performed using a popular excimer laser lead-extraction sheath when compared against sheaths that use a metal blade.

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Alzheimer's

German team develops new blood test for Alzheimer’s diagnosis

09 May 2018

Researchers from Ruhr University Bochum in Germany have developed a new blood test that can identify indicators of Alzheimer’s disease much earlier than the appearance of initial symptoms.Published in EMBO Molecular Medicine, the results of the research indicated a potential to detect at-risk individuals and allow new drug discovery opportunities.

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Brain function

Researchers propose new approach to look deeper into brain function

16 April 2018

To uncover connections between brain regions and specific cognitive functions, neuroscientists have long made extensive use of techniques like functional resonance imaging (fMRI). First introduced in the 1990’s, the method allows tracking the brain’s activity while a test subject performs a task or responds to stimuli in the MRI scanner.

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Regulation

FDA releases top 3 medical device regulation goals

08 April 2018

FDA medical device regulators’ top priorities over the next three years include improving employee engagement, increasing simplicity and building collaborative communities, according to a new Strategic Priorities paper that FDA’s CDRH released today. The agency said the priorities further its overall goal of providing Americans with more timely access to the latest high-quality, safe and effective medical devices.

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Diamond

Artificially-produced diamonds could improve brain imaging

05 April 2018

Researchers have optimised the design of laboratory-grown artificial diamonds for use in biosensing applications such as magnetic brain imaging.In ‘Designing Diamonds for Medical Imaging Technologies’, published in Applied Physics Letters, the researchers from Osaka University, the Tokyo University of Science, the Tokyo Institute of Technology and Kyoto University reported they have developed diamonds with nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centres that can detect changes in magnetic fields.

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DNA

Home genetic tests may have negative implications finds study

03 April 2018

Widespread access to personal genetic interpretation tools has potentially negative implications on users’ understanding of their health, according to a new study by Boston University School of Public Health. The study is the first to examine the challenges that can arise when consumers contact healthcare providers because they have concerns about their DNA interpretation results.

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Pacemaker

Taxes on Pacemakers, Medical Devices Returning in 2018

02 April 2018

The new year will bring lower tax rates to a bevy of U.S. industries and corporations as details of the GOP’s tax overhaul begin to take effect.
But 2018 will also see the return of an excise tax on medical device manufacturers that will raise the costs of production – and likely the costs to consumers – for crucial medical items like artificial joints and pacemakers.

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Mergers & Acquisitions

Expect high acquisitions, possible bidding wars in 2018

30 March 2018

Look for another strong year for medtech acquisitions in 2018 — and even potential bidding wars — predicts patent attorney David Dykeman.The wave of mergers and acquisitions in the medical device industry should continue this year, both in terms of value and volume, according to patent attorney David Dykeman.

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Heart

New 3D tissue model of developing heart could be used to test safety of drugs during pregnancy

29 March 2018

The heart is the first organ to develop in the womb and the first cause of concern for many parents.
For expecting mothers, the excitement of pregnancy is often offset by anxiety over medication they require. Parents and doctors often have to consider the mother’s health as well as the potential risk regarding how medication could affect their baby. 

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dementia

Traumatic brain injury associated with higher risk of dementia

28 March 2018

The risk of dementia, including Alzheimer’s, was significantly higher in people who had experienced a traumatic brain injury (TBI) than with people who had no history of TBI, according to one of the largest studies to date on that association.Findings from a review of nearly 2.8 million patient cases in Denmark were published April 10 in The Lancet Psychiatry.

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