Abbott (NYSE:ABT) announced today that a study showed its TactiCath ablation catheter often led to more than a year of freedom from AFib symptoms. The Persist-End study showed that 89% of patients treated for persistent AFib with the company’s TactiCath contact force ablation catheter, Sensor Enabled (TactiCath SE), remained symptom-free for up to 15 months […]
Research & Development
Discover where this artificial pancreas pioneer sees medtech development going
Frank Doyle — a prolific medical device inventor and Harvard engineering school leader — will discuss the future of medtech development during DeviceTalks Boston, May 10–11, 2022. A pioneer in developing artificial pancreas technology to treat diabetes, Doyle will share his insights on the future of medical device development, including the expanding role of robotics […]
Philips-backed study says more could be done to treat cardiac device infections
Roughly four in five Americans with cardiac implantable electronic device infections don’t receive recommended treatment, according to a Philips-funded study out of Duke University. The large-scale, real-world analysis of CMS data also found that complete hardware extraction within 6 days was associated with a 42.9% lower risk of death than among patients who did not […]
Synchron says study shows safety of its brain-computer interface implant
Four ALS patients with a Synchron Stentrode brain implant had no serious adverse events one year after their procedure, which allowed the paralyzed patients to control a computer for online shopping, banking and text communication without using their hands or voice for input. New York-based Synchron said this study demonstrated the safety of its brain-computer […]
How much time and money does it take for FDA 510(k) clearance versus De Novo classification?
If you’re developing a new medical device and want to know how much time and cash it could take to get FDA 510(k) clearance or De Novo classification, a recent report offers some guidance. Boston Consulting Group and the UCLA Biodesign innovation hub questioned leaders at 102 different companies that have achieved registration or approval […]
Some analysts are upbeat about Medtronic’s renal denervation prospects
Needham & Co. analysts are reiterating their Buy rating for Medtronic stock, saying that renal denervation (RDN) could still be a big opportunity for the medtech giant. Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) had to continue its Spyral HTN-ON MED trial into this year after failing to obtain the positive results needed to end enrollment early for the potential […]
Boston Scientific opens new R&D center in India
Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX) has opened its second R&D center in India, located in the western city of Pune. According to media reports, the new center is 45,000 ft² and will initially employ 170 people, more than doubling the number of R&D employees that Boston Scientific has in India. The company’s first Indian R&D center opened […]
Engineered yeast could be a key for more affordable COVID-19 vaccines
Researchers at MIT and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center are exploring a yeast-based alternative to RNA vaccines. A new paper highlights a vaccine, which comprises fragments of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein arrayed on a virus-like particle, that reportedly elicited a strong immune response and protected animals against viral challenge, according to a post on MIT’s […]
Roche says its research-only COVID-19 tests can detect a range of variants, subvariants
Roche announced today that its TIB Molbiol subsidiary has made available testing solutions that can identify a number of COVID-19 variants. Basel, Switzerland-based Roche’s testing offerings can identify the SARS-CoV-2 (the virus causing COVID-19) B.1.1.529 variant and differentiate between the omicron subvariants BA.1, BA.1.1, BA.2, BA.2.2, BA.3 and delta, according to a news release. VirSNiP […]
This CEO is swallowing his own devices to fund his swimming PillBot
As he prepared to swallow his robot for the first time, Torrey Smith’s doctors warned that the battery was his greatest threat. If the capsule came apart and the battery burned the tissue lining his stomach, it would only be the beginning of a very bad experience. “I was just hoping that we would get […]
HeartBeam picks Triple Ring to co-develop portable heart attack detector
HeartBeam (Nasdaq: BEAT) said today that it has signed a professional services agreement with Triple Ring Technologies to help develop and design its personal, portable heart attack detector. Santa Clara, California-based HeartBeam said it plans to submit what it calls a “telehealth complete solution 3D vector electrocardiogram (ECG) collection device” for FDA 510(k) clearance in […]