VisionCare, Inc. said this week that the FDA approved its investigational device exemption for a new clinical trial in the U.S. evaluating its telescope implant in patients with end-stage macular degeneration. The Saratoga, Calif.-based company’s implantable miniature telescope, which was developed by Israeli inventor Dr. Isaac Lipshitz, is contraindicated for patients with previous intraocular or […]
Surgical
Globus Medical posts Street-beating prelims
Globus Medical (NYSE:GMED) saw its shares tick upwards after it beat analysts’ expectations on Wall Street with its preliminary 4th quarter financial results. The Audubon, Pa.-based company said it expects a total revenue of $151.6 million for Q4, a 6.3% increase from the same period in the 2015. Analysts were looking for sales of $149.2 […]
Touch Surgery simulations are even more amazing: Here’s how
Touch Surgery, which already boasts a community of 1.5 million using its mobile surgical simulations, is upping its game when it comes to making the platform even more immersive. Touch on Friday announced a partnership with DAQRI to add augmented reality capabilities to the simulations using DAQRI smart glasses. Here’s a sample from Touch Surgery […]
AirXpander’s AeroForm tissue expander transforms decades-old procedure
For 40 years, plastic surgeons have used saline injections to expand tissue and prepare patients for breast implants following mastectomies. These tissue expanders consist of a silicone shell with a magnet and a self-sealing port; a doctor uses a different magnet above the skin to access the port and inject saline to stretch the skin. The […]
Scientists develop silver-releasing scaffold to prevent MRSA infection in bone
Researchers have developed a biocompatible, silver-releasing scaffold that inhibits methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, infection in bone. The team’s work was published in Tissue Engineering. The antimicrobial properties of silver ions and the biodegradable scaffold seeded with bone-forming stem cells could be used to coat implants and prevent bone infection, the team suggested in the study. Get the […]
J&J’s DePuy Synthes picks up Interventional Spine assets
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) subsidiary DePuy Synthes said today it inked a purchase and development deal with Interventional Spine to pick up its expandable cages designed for minimally invasive spinal fusion surgeries. The newly acquired implants are designed for optimal tactile feedback and feature a continuously adjustable design to allow for height to be customized to the patient’s anatomy, […]
ZipLine Medical wins Chinese clearance, launches Zip surgical skin closure device
ZipLine Medical said yesterday that it won Chinese FDA approval for its Zip surgical skin closure device and commercially launched the device in the region. The Campbell, Calif.-based company’s Zip is a low-cost, non-invasive skin closure device designed to be alternative to suturing and stapling and to cut down on surgical site-related infections. The device has […]
Medtronic supply chain snafu delays Aussie operations
Hospitals in Australia are reportedly running low on medical supplies such as sutures and staples due to a problem with Medtronic‘s (NYSE:MDT) supply chain system. A health department spokesman told The Mercury that some health providers were experiencing delays, but hospitals can share supplies thanks to Australia’s centralized ordering and surgical operations should be unaffected. Some health providers are on […]
J&J’s Ethicon seeks court ruling of non-infringement on Enseal
Johnson & Johnson‘s (NYSE:JNJ) Ethicon and Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) subsidiary Covidien took to court again this week, continuing an ongoing spat over patents related to surgical shears and sealers. Ethicon this week asked a federal judge in Massachusetts to find that its Enseal X1 surgical instrument doesn’t infringe a quintet of patents owned by Medtronic’s Covidien unit. The […]
Researchers develop nanosensor to differentiate cancer cells and healthy cells in surgery
Researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center have developed a threshold nanosensor that can differentiate between cancerous cells and healthy tissue during surgery. The team’s work was published in Nature Biomedical Engineering. “We synthesized an imaging probe that stays dark in normal tissues but switches on like a light bulb when it reaches solid […]
Chinese VCs Vivo Capital, ZQ Capital lead syndicate in Angiotech acquisition
Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, which rebranded in 2013 as Surgical Specialties Corp., said today that it agreed to be acquired by a syndicate led by Chinese venture capital shops Vivo Capital and ZQ Capital for an undisclosed amount. Blackstone Group’s GSO Capital Partners, China Orient Asset Management and Fung Shing Investments also joined the transaction, which is slated […]