What is a left ventricular assist device? A left ventricle assist device (LVAD) is a mechanical pump that attaches to the left ventricle of the heart to supplement the function of the pumping chamber, according to Jodi Hutchins, a regulatory and quality consultant at Proven Process Medical Devices. The left ventricle of the heart is responsible
Medtech stories we missed this week: April 20, 2018
April 20, 2018 By Leave a Comment
From CHF Solutions’ new Italian distribution deal to Masimo’s CE Mark approval, here are five medtech stories we missed this week but thought were still worth mentioning. 1. CHF Solutions signs Italian distribution deal CHF Solutions announced in an April 17 press release that it has signed a new distribution agreement with TRX Italy to distribute
Turns out graphene can fight bacteria on implants
April 18, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Graphene flakes that are arranged like spikes can kill bacteria and stop infections during implant surgery procedures, according to new research from Chalmers University of Technology in Göteborg, Sweden. Bacteria moves around the body in fluids like blood looking for an area to stick to. Once they find a place, the bacteria starts to grow
ACell launches Gentrix Incisional for surgical site reinforcement
April 12, 2018 By Leave a Comment
ACell recently announced that it has launched its Gentrix Incisional implantable device that is designed to reinforce soft tissue in surgical site incisions. Gentrix Incisional uses ACell’s MatriStem UBM technology to reinforce soft tissues. It is an extracellular matrix that helps remodel site-appropriate functional tissue where scarring normally occurs. Gentrix Incisional creates a scaffold for
Medtech stories we missed this week: April 6, 2018
April 6, 2018 By Leave a Comment
From CHF Solutions’s distribution deal to Guided Therapeutics’s licensing agreement, here are seven medtech stories we missed this week but throught were still worth mentioning. 1. CHF inks Spanish distribution deal CHF Solutions announced in an April 5 press release that it has signed a distribution agreement with Dimedix Surgical. The distribution agreement will allow
DARPA is developing a human memory prosthesis: Here’s how
April 4, 2018 By Leave a Comment
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has successfully created what it is calling a human memory prosthesis, a system with electrodes implanted in the brain that restores memory function using a person’s own neural codes. DARPA has been working on restoring normal memory function in military personnel since 2013 in a program known as
Minor orthopedic implant market to be worth $2.2 billion by 2021, analysts say
March 21, 2018 By Leave a Comment
The minor orthopedic replacement implant market will grow from $1.5 billion in 2017 to $2.2 billion in 2021, according to analysts from The Business Research Co.. The company’s Minor Orthopedic Replacement Implants report said the industry will experience an annual growth rate of over 7%, driven by a higher rate of arthritis and fractures. Osteoarthritis
FDA’s Breakthrough Device Program: It may make a difference
March 19, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Dr. Malvina Eydelman, Director of the Division of Ophthalmic, and Ear, Nose, and Throat Devices, Office of Device Evaluation FDA’s Breakthrough Devices Program is beginning to show important results for patients since it was established in late 2016 under the 21st Century Cures Act to help patients gain timely access to breakthrough technologies. Consider Second Sight
13 orthopedic products from AAOS 2018 you need to know
March 13, 2018 By Leave a Comment
The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons’s annual meeting is an opportunity for industry professional to come together and showcase some of their latest orthopedic solutions, research and technology. The meeting is being held in New Orleans at the Morial Convention Center, March 6-10. This year, a number of orthopedic companies have launched some of their latest
FX Solutions opens U.S. subsidiary FX Shoulder
February 23, 2018 By Leave a Comment
FX Solutions (Viriat, France) recently opened its new U.S. subsidiary FX Shoulder in Dallas. The establishment will help FX Solutions expand its shoulder implant footprint into U.S. markets. As of Jan. 1, FX Shoulder is the exclusive distributor of products from FX Solutions. It products have been FDA approved since 2016, starting with the Humelock II
Microfluidics can make brain implants safer: Here’s how
February 21, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Researchers at Rice University have created a device that uses microfluidics to implant flexible, conductive carbon nanotube fibers in the brain that can record neuron actions and replace traditional implant methods that can damage brain tissues. Rice University researchers suggest that the implant technique could improve therapies that need electrodes to sense neuronal signals and
17 black innovators who made medtech better
February 9, 2018 By Leave a Comment
From cardiology to endoscopy to blood transfusion, African Americans have played an important role as innovators in the history of medicine and medtech. To help mark African American History Month, here’s a look at some of their greatest achievements. Here are 17 black innovators who have made discoveries and invented devices to make medtech better.
These medtech companies raised the most VC last year
January 19, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Perhaps there’s a ray of hope that venture capital funding is recovering a bit for the medical device industry. VC firms invested more than $2.8 billion in 2017, an increase of more than $647 million from 2016, according to the MoneyTree Report from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and CB Insights. There were a total 229 deals involving
Medtech stories we missed this week: Jan. 19, 2018
January 19, 2018 By Leave a Comment
From Privi Medical’s FDA clearance to OrthoXel getting FDA clearance and CE Mark approval, here are seven medtech stories we missed this week but thought were still worth mentioning. 1. Privi Medical wins FDA nod for hemorrhoid device Privi Medical has received FDA clearance for its Instalief Hemorrhoids Treatment device, according to a Jan. 18 news
These lab-grown blood vessel replacements could benefit dialysis patients
January 3, 2018 By Leave a Comment
University of Minnesota researchers have developed a blood vessel replacement made of biological materials in a lab. The lab-grown vessels have no living cells at implantation and could be used as a graft for kidney dialysis patients. The lab-engineered blood vessel replacement is the first non synthetic, decellularized graft that is repopulated with cells using
