The co-founder of a political action committee that has raised funds for President Donald Trump may have attempted to profit from N95 respirators made by 3M (NYSE:MMM), according to a report by CBS News. The report said that, shortly after Trump invoked the Defense Production Act to obtain 3M’s respirators, Great America PAC (which raised more […]
Respiratory
COVID-19 lessons learned: 2 manufacturers, a healthcare system and a logistics company share their wisdom
The COVID-19 pandemic put medtech contract manufacturers, OEMs, distributors and healthcare providers in situations for which they were unprepared, particularly with their supply chains. What they learned will undoubtedly help them all going forward, especially if the world faces a second wave or another novel virus. Here are some supply chain lessons learned by a […]
Assisted living survey shows ongoing struggle for supplies during COVID-19 pandemic
A survey of National Center for Assisted Living members revealed that a number of people are still facing equipment shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic. Assisted living facilities have been hit particularly hard by the virus, with a recent report from the Associated Press citing government data confirming that nursing home residents account for nearly 1 […]
3M settles N95 price-gouging suit
3M (NYSE:MMM) has reached a settlement ending one of its lawsuits against companies selling marked-up N95 respirator masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In the filing, dated June 18, 3M moved to dismiss its case against TAC2 Global, a Clearwater, Fla.-based company that “specializes in an extensive selection of specialized tactical gear, ballistic protection and apparel,” according […]
Medtronic, Foxconn aim to make 10,000 ventilators
Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) and Foxconn said today they will boost ventilator production to 10,000 over the next year at Foxconn’s Wisconsin plant. The companies announced in April that Foxconn would begin production of Medtronic’s Puritan Bennett 560 ventilators at the plant in Mount Pleasant, Wis., with a goal of 400 ventilators per week by the end of April and 700 per […]
GE Healthcare launches chest X-ray AI to better spot COVID-19
Officials at GE Healthcare (NYSE:GE) think the company’s new Thoracic Care Suite — a collection of eight AI algorithms from Lunit Insight CXR — could help clinicians in the fight against COVID-19. The AI suite, launched today, quickly analyzes chest X-ray findings and flags abnormalities for radiologist review, according to GE. It can spot potential pneumonia […]
Inspire Medical wins coverage from Cigna
Inspire Medical Systems (NYSE:INSP) has announced that Cigna will provide insurance coverage for the company’s Inspire obstructive sleep apnea therapy beginning this week. Cigna insures approximately 16 million members in the U.S., the minimally invasive sleep apnea treatment developer noted. The addition of Cigna brings the total of insurance policies covering Inspire to 54, representing over […]
CAE receives Health Canada nod for CAE Air1 ventilator
CAE (NYSE:CAE) announced today that its CAE Air1 ventilator received certification from Health Canada and is set to treat people with COVID-19. Two months ago, the Canadian government issued a contract to CAE to manufacture and supply 10,000 ventilators amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The devices deliver pressure control, volume control and pressure support ventilation using […]
States reportedly fend for themselves with inflated ventilator prices
States had to scramble to obtain ventilators after the White House left them to fend for themselves, according to a Kaiser Health News report. Demand for intensive care unit ventilators skyrocketed as healthcare facilities dealt with the surges of COVID-19 patients over the course of the pandemic, which still goes on today after gaining steam […]
Chinese company faces federal charges in ‘fake’ N95 respirator case
A Chinese manufacturer has been charged with producing and exporting to the United States nearly half a million misbranded and defective masks that falsely purported to be N95 respirators, the federal government reported. King Year Packaging and Printing Co. Ltd. (King Year) faces three counts of violating the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) […]
3M sues seller of fake and damaged N95 respirators
3M (NYSE:MMM) announced that it filed a legal action in federal court alleging that a seller on Amazon inflated prices of fake, defective and damaged N95 masks. N95 masks have been in high demand as the COVID-19 pandemic roars on. In April, the U.S. Defense Dept. awarded a $76 million contract to 3M to produce the respirators […]