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Medical device prices have barely budged in 20 years, says med-tech lobby

AdvaMed spending chart

Medical device spending vs. national health expenditures
1989-2009

As Congress considers cuts in health care spending and the FDA prepares to reauthorize users fees for medical devices, industry lobby AdvaMed issued a report finding that national medical device prices and spending have barely budged over the last two decades.

Device and diagnostic prices have increased at an average annual rate of 1.0 percent compared to national inflation at 2.8 percent, according to the report.

InfraReDx launches IVUS LipiScan stent-guidance trials

InfraReDx

InfraReDx Inc. announced that it enrolled the first patient into CANARY trials for its LipiScan coronary imaging guidance system, intended to help prevent heart attacks during stenting.

The Burlington, Mass.-based LipiScan IVUS combines intravascular ultrasound and near-infrared spectroscopy to help cardiologists identify coronary plaques and key structural features of lesions including location, length, degree of stenosis and plaque buildup during percutaneous coronary interventions.

Medtronic and St. Jude play the neurostim field

MassDevice On Call

MASSDEVICE ON CALL — St. Jude Medical Inc. (NYSE:STJ) and Medtronic Inc. (NYSE:MDT) logged some important wins in the neurostimluation arena this week, making progress on treatments for pain, depression and high blood pressure.