Olympus announced today that it closed its acquisition of Taewoong Medical, a Korea-based medical device manufacturer. Taewoong Medical develops gastrointestinal (GI) metallic stents, among other offerings. Olympus announced its intent to acquire the company for $370 million in February 2023. The deal includes $255.5 million upfront, with up to $114.5 million in potential milestone payments […]
Endoscopic
Former Boston Scientific exec joins pulsed field ablation company Mirai Medical’s board
Mirai Medical announced today that it appointed former Boston Scientific executive David A. Pierce as a non-executive board director. Pierce spent 31 years at Boston Scientific, gaining valuable experience in product commercialization, market access and clinical change management. Much of his work came in the gastrointestinal endoscopy space, providing expertise he can now bring to […]
Gore enrolls first patients in expandable stent graft trial
W.L. Gore & Associates announced today that it enrolled the first patients in a trial evaluating its Viabahn VBX stent graft. The study compares Gore’s balloon-expandable endoprosthesis to bare metal stenting for patients with complex iliac occlusive disease. It aims to inform practice guidelines around the best modalities suited for patients with this condition. Dr. […]
Olympus, Canon Medical partner on endoscopic ultrasound
Canon Medical and Olympus announced that they reached an agreement to collaborate on endoscopic ultrasound technology. Under the agreement, Canon will develop and manufacture diagnostic ultrasound used in endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS). Olympus handles the sales and marketing efforts in the collaboration. The deal utilizes Canon’s Aplio i800 diagnostic EUS ultrasound and Olympus’ ultrasound endoscope. Canon […]
EndoQuest Robotics, Omnivision partner on surgical robotic visualization
EndoQuest Robotics and Omnivision today announced a partnership to integrate image sensor technology into surgical robotics. Omnivision develops semiconductor solutions, including advanced digital imaging and touch display technology. The companies plan to integrate Omnivision’s CameraCubeChip into EndoQuest’s flexible surgical robotic system. Houston-based EndoQuest designed its system to address unmet needs in gastrointestinal and other endoluminal […]
FDA clears novel endoscopic ultrasound tech from EndoSound
EndoSound announced today that it received FDA 510(k) clearance for its EndoSound Vision System (EVS). Portland, Oregon-based EndoSound designed the EVS endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) device to attach to upper gastrointestinal endoscopes. It easily integrates to any endoscopy center’s existing ecosystem and provides access to both imaging and a therapeutic procedure. EndoSound believes the EVS could […]
Olympus bronchoscopes in Class I recall could lead to burns, fire
The FDA labeled a recall of Olympus bronchoscopes that could lead to burns or fire Class I, the most serious kind. Olympus reports 192 complaints related to the issue, including four injuries. The company has received no reports of death. This recall — a correction, not a product removal — applies to Olympus bronchofiberscopes and […]
Medtronic, Cosmo Pharma expand AI collab for GI Genius
Medtronic announced today that it agreed to expand its partnership with Cosmo Intelligent Medical Devices. The medtech giant aims to build upon already realized achievements with the Cosmo Pharmaceuticals subsidiary. Their AI-driven partnership centers around the GI Genius intelligent endoscopy module. Through the exclusive, global partnership, Medtronic and Cosmo seek to revolutionize endoscopy by utilizing […]
Sony, Olympus to collab on next-gen endoscopes
Olympus announced today that it agreed to a new business alliance with Sony over medical devices — specifically endoscopes. The two companies first entered into a collaboration in September 2012, establishing Sony Olympus Medical Solutions. The joint venture aimed to combine Olympus’ lens and optical technologies, plus brand and R&D, with Sony’s broad range of […]
Ambu has a reimbursement win for its single-use bronchoscope
Ambu announced today that CMS has approved a transitional pass-through (TPT) payment for its aScope 5 Broncho HD. The TPT payment, effective Jan. 1, 2024, will last for 24–36 months, allowing incremental reimbursement for outpatient procedures using the device. The aScope 5 Broncho HD series is Ambu’s latest generation of single-use bronchoscope. Cleared by the […]
Pristine Surgical fully launches single-use arthroscope in the U.S.
Pristine Surgical announced today that it accelerated the launch of its first-of-its-kind Summit 4K single-use surgical arthroscope. Summit combines a 4K single-use surgical arthroscope with the company’s cloud-based software Pristine Connect. The device provides a high-definition image every time. The scope is simple to set up and 100% sterile, Pristine said. Its transparent pricing model […]