Prosecutors say DePuy hid risks in ASR hip recall
Prosecutors involved in the high-profile bellwether lawsuit of Johnson & Johnson‘s (NYSE:JNJ) DePuy orthopedics division said there is growing evidence that company hid key information about the risks of its ASR metal-on-metal hip implant.
GPO: Premier hands sole-source agreement to Ivera Medical
Group purchasing organization Premier healthcare alliance signed a deal with Ivera Medical for disinfection devices. The contract makes Ivera the sole service provider for the GPO’s 2,900-hospital network for 3 years.
San Diego, Calif.-based Ivera will provide its line of Curos products, passive disinfection devices for needle-less IV valves and male-luer connectors.
ER advances haven’t changed heart attack mortality, study says | MassDevice.com On Call
MASSDEVICE ON CALL — Advancements in emergency room techniques and technology have done little to affect heart attack death rates, according to a University of Michigan study.
Doctors have been working to reduce balloon angioplasty treatment times, reducing so called "door-to-balloon" time to an average of about 90 minutes, but their speed hasn’t reduced patient mortality rates, researchers said.
SurModics lays off 6% of staff
SurModics (NSDQ:SRDX) fired 6% of its workforce and consolidated several business departments in a move that the company hopes will save about $1 million. The device maker is also restructuring some of its operating units that it hopes will "strengthen the company and better position it for long-term growth."
Philips signs 10-year imaging tech contract with Dutch teaching hospital
Mobile Doctors CEO arrested for Medicare fraud
The CEO of Mobile Doctors, a physician house-call business, was arrested this week on charges of healthcare fraud. Federal agents in Chicago arrested Dike Ajiri for a Medicare fraud scheme that included up-coded billing and lying about patients’ at-home confinement, according to an FBI report.
The FBI built a case around reports from former and current Mobile Doctors employees and physicians. These reports alleged that Ajiri was up-coding Medicare, or sending in a billing code with a higher price tag than than the actual service provided.
Robot-assisted surgery: Mazor touts landmark Parkinson’s patient treated | MassDevice.com On Call
MASSDEVICE ON CALL — For the 1st time Mazor Robotics’ (PINK:MZRTF) Renaissance robot-assisted surgical system system was used to to treat a Parkinson’s patient, implanting a battery-sized neurostimulator that delivers mild electrical stimulation to targeted areas of the brain.
Align Technology seeks cease-and-desist against ClearCorrect
After a favorable ruling for Align Technology (NSDQ:ALGN) back in May, the International Trade Commission further reviewed the company’s patent infringement case against Pakistani dental device maker ClearCorrect.
Mass. mHealth company raises $58k in 1 month, mostly during golf tournament
Reading, Mass.-based mobile health company Health eVillages raised $58,000 in August, most of it in cash drummed up through the company’s inaugural golf tournament.
The "Apps Save Lives" tournament brought more than half of the new funds, which were topped off by a $20,000 donation from the Vodafone Americas Foundation.