Venture capital firms invested more than $738 million during the second quarter of 2018, $1 million less than the first quarter of this year, according to the MoneyTree Report from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and CB Insights. There was a total of 61 deals during Q2, an increase from the 48 that the industry saw during Q1.
Medtech stories we missed this week: July 6, 2018
July 6, 2018 By Leave a Comment
From Zetta getting FDA clearance to Prescient Medical receiving CE Mark approval, here are five medtech stories we missed this week but thought were still worth mentioning. 1. Zetta wins FDA clearance for Zoom MRI software Zetta announced in a June 25 press release that its MRI software has received FDA 510(k) clearance. The software, known as
How’d they do that? 7 innovations from medical device contract manufacturers
June 29, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Charles Darwin wrote, “In the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.” Medical device companies get the credit for many innovations, but many need the ingenuity and commitment of contract manufacturers who design and produce the components that make those big splashes possible.
SetPoint Medical touts 2-year relief from rheumatoid arthritis
June 19, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Startup SetPoint Medical has demonstrated “significant, sustained improvement” over two years in a first-in-human study using bioelectronic therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Seventeen subjects with moderate to severe symptoms were implanted with a vagus nerve stimulator in the European study. At three months, the therapy was shown to have significantly reduced RA symptoms
Medtech stories we missed this week: June 8, 2018
June 8, 2018 By Leave a Comment
From Royal Philips receiving FDA clearance to NeuroPace launching its epilepsy treatment device, here are seven medtech stories we missed this week but thought were still worth mentioning. 1. FDA clears Philips’s Ingenia Elition 3.0T MR scanner Royal Philips announced in a June 5 press release that it has received FDA 510(k) clearance for its Ingenia
FDA launches medical device innovation challenge to combat opioid crisis
May 30, 2018 By Leave a Comment
The U.S. FDA today announced that it has launched an innovation challenge to encourage the development of medical devices to help reduce the country’s opioid abuse crisis. The hope is that the challenge will result in new medtech including digital health technologies and diagnostic tests to help detect, treat and prevent addiction, according to FDA. Go
Brain emergency averted at the push of a button
May 29, 2018 By 3 Comments
A Boston neurosurgeon recently avoided doing emergency brain surgery on a young patient just by pressing on a new device. The Alivio ReFlow ventricular system was embedded beneath the scalp of the unidentified hydrocephalus patient. Comprised of a subcutaneous “flusher” component and a ventricular catheter, the device has a “relief membrane” backup feature at the catheter’s
Medtech stories we missed this week: May 25, 2018
May 25, 2018 By Leave a Comment
From Mauna Kea receiving FDA clearance to Medacta getting clearance for its pedicle screw placement guide, here are seven medtech stories we missed this week but thought were still worth mentioning. 1. Mauna Kea wins FDA nod for neurosurgery indication Mauna Kea announced in a May 24 press releasethat it has received FDA 510(k) clearance for
8 companies commercializing transcatheter mitral valve replacements
May 22, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Transcatheter mitral valve replacement is a new frontier in the cardio device field, with big legacy medical device companies including Edwards Lifesciences, Medtronic and Abbott spending hundreds of millions of dollars on companies in the space. Much different from transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) has been mostly experimental. TMVR is used
Medtech stories we missed this week: April 27, 2018
April 27, 2018 By Leave a Comment
From DuPuy Synthes’s spinal implant launch to Lumendi’s FDA clearance, here are seven medtech stories we missed this week but thought were still worth mentioning. 1. DePuy Synthes launches spinal implants DePuy Synthes announced in an April 26 press release that it has launched its Proti 360º integrated titanium family of interbody devices that are designed
3D printing can reduce heart valve leaks: Here’s how
April 27, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Doctors can use 3D printing and computer modeling to predict paravavular leak (PVL) in patients who are undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), according to new research from the University of Minnesota. One of the common risks associated with TAVR is valves not fitting which can cause PVL. A recent study conducted by cardiovascular fellow
What is a left ventricular assist device and how does it work?
April 23, 2018 By Leave a Comment
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
FDA OKs Opus breast implant line from Sientra, with Lubrizol manufacturing
April 20, 2018 By Leave a Comment
The FDA this week granted a pre-market approval supplement to Sientra (NSDQ:SIEN) for its Opus line of silicone breast implants. The implants are made in Wisconsin by Lubrizol LifeSciences subsidiary Vesta, which inked a contract manufacturing deal with Sientra back in August 2016. Sales of Sientra’s silicone breast implants ground to a halt in the autumn of 2015, when […]
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
