Republicans unveil healthcare reform repeal. The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on the repeal on Jan. 12 and it is likely to pass given the Republican majority. The bill is largely symbolic, however, as Democrats still control the Senate and President Obama would vetoe the bill, reports the BBC.
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MedGadget’s MedTech Monday: Diagnosis through exhaled breath
Diagnosis through exhaled breath: Researchers from Purdue University and NIST developed new technology for detection of biomarkers in breath with sensitivity approaching only few parts per billion. “The technology works by detecting changes in electrical resistance or conductance as gases pass over sensors built on top of ‘microhotplates,’ tiny heating devices on electronic chips. Detecting biomarkers provides a record of a patient’s health profile, indicating the possible presence of cancer and other diseases,” according to the researchers.
Acquisitions roundup: GE closes Clarient takeover
General Electric Co.’s (NYSE:GE) healthcare unit closed its takeover of Clarient Inc. through a short-form merger in a $5-per-share cash deal worth about $587 million. GE’s buyout of the cancer diagnostic company is part of its strategy to grow is disease-diagnosis business, according to the company.
MIT files another lawsuit against Still River Systems
The Mass. Institute of Technology sued Still River Systems Inc. over infringement of three of its patents and unpaid licensing fees.
The school filed a complaint Dec. 23 in the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts alleging that the Littleton, Mass.-based company built technology intended for proton-based radiotherapy applications that relies on its patents. Still River also failed to pay fees for a licensing agreement it entered with MIT, the school alleges.
ICD slowdown costs St. Jude as Morgan Stanley downgrades
For St. Jude Medical Inc. (NYSE:STJ), last year’s blessing may be this year’s curse.
The medical device maker, based in Little Canada, Minn., enjoyed a stellar 2010, mostly due to impressive growth in its pacemaker and implantable cardioverter defibrillator business.
FDA rejects Iluvien, pSivida-Alimera’s drug-device eye treatment
pSivida Corp. (NSDQ:PSDV) partner Alimera Sciences Inc. (NSDQ:ALIM) received a rejection letter from the Food & Drug Administration for their drug-device combination Iluvien.
The two companies are developing the system to treat diabetic macular degeneration. The investigational drug delivery system is designed for sustained release of Iluvien with an intra-vitreal insert.
Intelect reportedly finds a buyer from its new Boston digs
The neuromodulation medical device company Intelect Medical Inc. recently left its Cleveland headquarters for Boston. Now it may be in for a departure of another order — namely, an exit.
Minimally Invasive Devices reels in $1.5 million
Surgical device maker Minimally Invasive Devices Inc. raised more than $1.5 million in equity, according to a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.
The company will use the funding to launch several new products, including a next-generation version of its FloShield, which stops liquid from gathering at the tip of and obstructing the view of a laparoscope, CEO Wayne Poll said.
HeartWare files PMA for cardiac assist device
HeartWare International Inc. (NSDQ:HTWR) filed a pre-market approval application with the Food & Drug Administration for its cardiac assist device.
The Framingham, Mass.-based company’s ventricular assist system is designed to provide a temporary "bridge" for heart transplant patients with "end-stage heart failure," according to the company.
Healthcare reform: What to expect in 2011
The healthcare reform act brought a wave of new regulations to the lawbooks as the new year rolled in, with a significant segment of the rules making changes to Medicare, the country’s largest payer of medical bills.
Sleep apnea device boosts energy
Individuals with obstructive sleep apnea may have a new therapy to relieve their symptoms of fatigue, a study shows.
Researchers at the University of California, Davis and San Diego State University tested a medical device that applies a therapy called "continuous positive airway pressure" on 59 men and women suffering from the condition. All were in their late 40s and experienced at least 10 partial or complete pauses, or apneas, during an hour of sleep.