MASSDEVICE ON CALL — Solos Endoscopy Inc. (PINK:SNDY) announced that it has launched its revamped veterinary product line of endoscopic equipment, scopes and instruments.
Veterinary endoscopy involves minimally invasive techniques for performing procedures through natural holes in the body rather than through large incisions.
The American Pet Products Assn. estimates that consumers spent more than $45 billion on pets in 2009, and more than $12 billion was on veterinary care.
"Our Veterinary Product Line is going to open tremendous doors for us as a Company. We believe that we can enter this market with minimal cost and maximize our bottom line by offering great products at an affordable cost," said Solos president Bob Segersten in the release.
Solos’ line consists of more than 48 items ranging in cost from $75 to $3,900.
Hospitals rally against Medicare and Medicaid cuts
The American Hospital Assn. is rallying its members to raise funds for a nationwide campaign against cuts to Medicare and Medicaid floating around in debt-ceiling talks, The Hill reported.
The AHA hopes to prevent hospital payment reductions and staving off future payment cuts called for by caps or other mechanisms by proposing alternative deficit reducers, such as raising the Medicare eligibility age and shifting costs to seniors.
At-home care businesses urge President Obama to repeal competitive bidding programs
Providers of durable medical equipment and services intended for at-home use have called on President Obama to repeal Medicare’s "competitive" bidding for home care, which DME advocates say cut quality and access for seniors and people with disabilities.
"The bid program encourages ‘suicide bidding’ by using economic coercion to force providers to submit unsustainable bids necessary to win a contract in the hopes of staying in business in the short term. People who require home medical equipment are being harmed because services are being curtailed due to unsustainable pricing and they are not able to receive the equipment they need," the AHA wrote in a letter to President Obama.
The repeal is backed by the American Assn. for Homecare, the ALS Assn., the American Assn. of People with Disabilities and others, according to to a release.
Medtronic’s cardiac device monitors go mobile
Medtronic Inc. (NYSE:MDT) released an app that allows physicians to access the CareLink Network from iPhones and iPads. Physicians with the app can access patient data gathered by an implanted cardiac device, including physiologic data and device diagnostics, from just about anywhere, Medgadget reported.
Texas Children’s becomes first pediatric hospital in the U.S. to implant an artificial heart
Texas Children’s Hospital announced that it was the first pediatric hospital in the U.S. to implant an artificial heart into the chest of a 17-year-old patient as the only option to save his life.
Jordan Merecka, born with his heart on the wrong side of his chest and his heart vessels backwards, underwent a rare 15-hour operation last month, and is still recovering. The implant is intended as a bridge until a donor heart is found, according to the release.
