News
Industry Update: Where is the Business of Medical Devices Headed?
June 11, 2013 7:51 am | by PR Newswire | CommentsWith profit models under pressure and an eroding customer value proposition, medical equipment organizations are at the crossroads of a highly disruptive market. For U.S. companies already sorting through the impact of the medical device excise tax, which led many organizations to downsize and restructure, they still must face significant disruptors on the horizon, with investment dollars flowing in the opposite direction.
Westpak Is Expanding HAZMAT Testing To Meet Demand From The Medical Device Industry
June 11, 2013 6:00 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsMedical products may contain hazardous materials (HAZMAT) that are regulated under the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The packaging systems may also be subject to several shipping rules and requirements from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), which follows the United Nations (UN) guidelines. Westpak, Inc., is expanding their HAZMAT testing capacity in response to these growing needs.
Teleflex Receives FDA Clearance for ARROW NextStep Retrograde Femoral Length Dialysis Catheters
June 10, 2013 5:00 pm | by Business Wire | CommentsTeleflex Incorporated (NYSE:TFX), a leading global provider of medical devices for critical care and surgery, has announced it has received FDA 510(k) clearance to market its ARROW® NextStep® Retrograde Femoral Length Dialysis Catheters. Designed for clinician ease of insertion and sustained high flow rates, the ARROW NextStep Retrograde Femoral Length Catheters further strengthen the NextStep Hemodialysis Catheter portfolio.
Quallion Medical Batteries Maintain High Performance After 10 Year Storage Test
June 10, 2013 3:29 pm | by PR Newswire | CommentsQuallion, a leading developer and manufacturer of advanced lithium ion batteries, released test data demonstrating the potential to power long-term implantable medical devices. After 10 years of storage at an elevated temperature simulating conditions inside the human body, Quallion's cells showed minimal degradation in terms of calendar fade and self discharge.
Split Liver Transplants for Young Children Proven To Be as Safe as Whole Organ Transplantation
June 10, 2013 11:19 am | by Boston Children's Hospital | CommentsA new study shows that when a liver from a deceased adult or adolescent donor is split into two separate portions for transplantation—with the smaller portion going to a young child and the larger to an adult—the smaller portion used for the child will last just as long as if the child had received a whole organ from a donor close to his size.
Medical Specialties Distributors Acquires Medical Technology Resources
June 10, 2013 11:14 am | by PR Newswire | CommentsMedical Specialties Distributors, LLC ("MSD"), the nation's leading alternate-site infusion therapy solutions provider, announced today that it has acquired Medical Technology Resources, LLC ("MTR"). Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, MTR specializes in providing infusion pumps and related products, as well as biomedical and billing services to alternate-site health care providers.
Compulsive No More
June 10, 2013 10:56 am | by Anne Trafton, MIT News Office | CommentsBy activating a brain circuit that controls compulsive behavior, MIT neuroscientists have shown that they can block a compulsive behavior in mice — a result that could help researchers develop new treatments for diseases such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and Tourette’s syndrome.
Meridian Bioscience Receives FDA Clearance for New Molecular Amplification Test: illumigene® Mycoplasma
June 10, 2013 10:30 am | by Business Wire | CommentsMeridian Bioscience, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio (NASDAQ: VIVO) today announced that it has received FDA clearance for a new molecular diagnostic test for Mycoplasma pneumonia ( M. pneumoniae ), its fourth assay on the illumi gene platform. This innovative test that aids in identifying an important respiratory pathogen is a strong addition to the illumi gene platform.
3-D Map of Blood Vessels in Cerebral Cortex Holds Surprises
June 10, 2013 10:09 am | by University of California - San Diego | CommentsBlood vessels within a sensory area of the mammalian brain loop and connect in unexpected ways, a new map has revealed. The study, published June 9 in the early online edition of Nature Neuroscience, describes vascular architecture within a well-known region of the cerebral cortex and explores what that structure means for functional imaging of the brain and the onset of a kind of dementia.
MRI Detects Early Effects of Chemotherapy on Children's Hearts
June 10, 2013 10:07 am | by BioMed Central | CommentsMRI scans of children who have had chemotherapy can detect early changes in their hearts finds research in biomed Central's open access journal Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance. Chemotherapy with anthracyclines, such as Doxorubicin, is one of the most effective treatments against many types of cancer, including leukaemia and Hodgkin's lymphoma, breast, lung, and ovarian cancer.
Women Can Be Screened Years Later than Men with 'Virtual Colonoscopy'
June 10, 2013 10:05 am | by Wiley | CommentsA new study has found that women can be screened for colorectal cancer at least five to 10 years later than men when undergoing an initial "virtual colonoscopy." Published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the findings may help establish guidelines for the use of this screening technique, which is less invasive than a traditional colonoscopy.
Carbon Nanotubes for Molecular Magnetic Resonances
June 10, 2013 10:03 am | by ICFO-The Institute of Photonic Sciences | CommentsScientists from ICFO- Institute of Photonic Science, in collaboration with researchers from the Catalan Institute of Nanotechnology (ICN2) and the University of Michigan, have been able to measure weak forces with sensitivity 50 times higher than what has been achieved to date. This significant improvement represents a turning point in measuring very weak forces and opens the door for magnetic resonance imaging at the molecular scale.
Judge's Ruling Challenges U.S. Transplant System
June 10, 2013 9:45 am | by Lauran Neergaard, AP Medical Writer | CommentsIt's a life or death matter: Who gets the next scarce donated organ? In an unprecedented challenge to the nation's transplant system, a federal judge has allowed one dying child — and a day later another — to essentially jump the line in rulings that could have ramifications for thousands of people awaiting new organs.
Patient and Healthcare Worker Safety Major Areas of Focus at B.Braun
June 7, 2013 11:45 am | by PR Newswire | CommentsCatheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs), needlestick (sharps) injuries and exposure to potentially deadly blood borne pathogens continue to be major areas of concern for healthcare workers throughout the U.S. "We are committed to addressing these issues by providing a robust portfolio of safety-engineered IV therapy devices that offer patient protection against infection and optimum safety in the workplace," said Tom Sutton.
MedTech Firms Invited to Post Diabetes Questions
June 7, 2013 11:44 am | by Creative Medical Research | CommentsSuffolk (UK) based Creative Medical Research (CMR) is giving medical device manufacturers the chance to ask questions of 150 EU and US-based Diabetes Nurses through its latest Omnibus Survey. The survey has already attracted a number of the major medical device manufacturers keen to understand the concerns and thoughts of the Healthcare Professionals who focus on Diabetes and use their technologies every day.
