Nanocomposites are typically polymer-based materials in which the microstructure and mechanical behavior are tailored via the incorporation of additives or nanometer-sized particles. They have significantly enhanced mechanical performance, as well as other properties such as electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and resistance to permeability and abrasion.
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Clearances roundup: X-spine wins FDA 510(k) clearance for Axle
Here’s a roundup of companies announcing clearances and approvals from the Food & Drug Administration and foreign regulatory agencies:
Personnel moves: Sonova announces that Cameron Hay stands down as CEO of Unitron Hearing
- Sonova announces that Cameron Hay is standing down as president and CEO of Unitron Hearing
Cameron Hay is leaving Sonova Holding AG after over five years as a member of the Management Board to take on new professional and personal challenges outside the Group. Sonova Holding AG will appoint his successor shortly.
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Clinical trials roundup: Abiomed wins conditional FDA approval for Impella study on heart attack recovery
Here’s a roundup of recent clinical trial news:
UPDATE: Sequenom raises $84 million in public offering
Sequenom Inc.’s (NSDQ:SQNM) $84 million public offering this week was the latest in a series of large public funding rounds for genomic analysis companies.*
The San Diego-based company develops molecular diagnostics technologies for "translational research, oncology, agricultural genomics and in vitro diagnostics for prenatal and retinal disorders," according to its website.
MassDevice On Call: Scientists work towards a botanical-based nasal spray for TBI
Scientists work towards a botanical-based nasal spray for TBI. Evidence from cell culture and animal models suggests that huperzine A — a moss-derived botanical used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat swelling, fever, inflammation, blood disorders and schizophrenia — might dampen down the body’s physiological response to traumatic brain injury, which causes subsequent damage to the victim’s brain, writes Children’s Hospital Boston’s Vector Blog.
Hill-Rom closes buyout of joint venture Encompass TSS
Hill-Rom Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HRC) acquired the minority interest of its Encompass TSS joint venture with Encompass Group, giving the company a 100 percent share of the subsidiary.
The two companies founded Encompass TSS, or Therapeutic Support Systems, approximately a year ago to run the distribution of medical bedding products that combined the companies’ technologies.
St. Jude making progress in neuromodulation market
St. Jude Medical Inc. (NYSE:STJ) reintroduced physicians at the North American Neuromodulation Society meeting in Las Vegas to its Penta surgical lead for neurostimulation therapy.
Since last year’s society meeting, during which St. Jude announced Food & Drug Administration clearance to sell the device in the United States, St. Jude has received CE Mark approval to sell the device in Europe and reimbursement approval from the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration.
AtriCure commences trial on hybrid procedure for treating atrial fibrillation
Cardiac medical device maker AtriCure Inc. (NSDQ:ATRC) has enrolled the first human subject in a clinical trial designed to test a hybrid procedure on patients with persistent atrial fibrillation, a condition marked by irregular heart rhythm.
The procedure being evaluated in the study combines AtriCure’s minimally invasive surgical ablation devices with a catheter-based ablation system from BioSense Webster, a Johnson & Johnson company, according to AtriCure.
Can there be such a thing as a generic medical device?
The possibility for a technology company to create a generic version of a complex, patented medical device may seem unrealistic.
The business intelligence consulting firm Fuld & Company, however, suggested in a recently released white paper that lower-cost generic medical devices are one sector of the healthcare industry that is likely to grow due to economic pressures.
Medtronic wins FDA clearance for vertebral screw device
Medtronic Inc. (NYSE:MDT) received Food & Drug Administration 510(k) clearance for its CD Horizon vertebral bone screw system for treating scoliosis that develops during adolescence.
It’s the first clearance by the FDA under its new category for pediatric adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients who are treated with posterior pedicle screw instruments, Medtronic said in a release.