GE Healthcare and the conglomerate’s financing arm, GE Capital, launched a $100 million program aimed at accelerating adoption of its suite of electronic medical records products.
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HydroCision launches outpatient herniated disc treatment
If you like so-called “baby carrots,” a new treatment launched by HydroCision Inc. might be of interest.
The Billerica-based surgical waterjet maker’s SpineJet system aims to use technology similar to that used to trim carrots down to size: A high-pressure jet of water.
The treatment is an outpatient procedure, performed under local anesthesia, in which a surgeon uses the waterjet to make a tiny incision in the fibrous outer ring of a vertebral disc, the annulus, and remove some of its pulpy nucleus to relieve the pressure that causes bulging and herniated discs.
MindChild Medical looks to bring new fetal heart monitor to market
A new medical device startup is working on a non-invasive fetal heart monitor it says can detect tiny fluctuations in fetal heartbeats and potentially reduce the number of Caesarian sections pregnant women undergo.
MindChild Medical Inc. inked a royalty-sharing agreement with Tufts Medical Center to help launch, license and share any profits derived from a belt studded with embedded electrodes for fetal electrocardiograms.
Tufts will act as the licensing agent for the device and share a sales royalty with MIT, where some of the technology was developed, according to a Tufts spokeswoman.
Former Boston Scientific CSO lands with Irish firm
Art Rosenthal, a former executive at Boston Scientific Corp. and Labcoat Ltd., jumped back into the the stent wars, this time with an Irish device maker.
Rosenthal, who served as chief science officer for the Natick-based medical devices giant from 2000 to 2005, was named CEO of Cappella Inc., a medical device firm headquartered in Galway, Ireland.
Weekly Wireless Roundup: Apple iPhone gets medical; FDA clears MedApps
Brian Dolan, mobihealthnews.com
The devil is in the details
President Barack Obama is on the stump talking up his goals, Congressional drafts of legislation are beginning to see the light of day, the usual suspects are crying foul and the initial wave of euphoria about healthcare reform is beginning to subside.
Despite the professed national unity on the need for significant new policy directions, the terms of a health reform battle are beginning to emerge. We could be seeing a graphic example of Washington policy-making as usual – or we could be looking at real change now. Only time will tell.
U.S. Patent Office upholds Palomar’s hair removal patent
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office zapped an obstacle to Palomar Medical Technologies Inc.‘s patent infringement suit against Candela Corp. over its “Hair Removal Using Optical Pulses.”
The Burlington cosmetic laser device maker and Mass. General Hospital accused Wayland-based Candela of infringing the patent, but the suit was stayed late last year to give the patent office time to re-examine the patent’s claims.
The office confirmed the 30 original claims contained in the patent, as well as 26 new claims, disallowing only three.
The doctor will tweet you now
Virtual health
Most Americans use the interwebs to shape their decisions about personal health care, according to a Pew Research poll that says 61 percent of our fellow citizens regularly check the Web for information on personal health.
That’s nearly twice the number of people who use the intertubes to contact their insurance providers and slightly more than those who use the Internet as a research tool.
Analogic details severance package for outgoing CFO
Outgoing Analogic Corp. CFO John Millerick won’t have to sweat finding a job in this economy for a while, after the Peabody imaging equipment maker agreed to continue paying his full salary and benefits, plus bonuses, until September 2010.
Millerick will stay with Analogic through September 29 of this year, when he’ll begin receiving a severance package worth more than $300,000 in salary, bonuses and benefits; any outstanding stock owned by Millerick will begin to vest on an accelerated time frame until 2011, according to a May 2007 separation agreement.
The MassDevice Guide to Gift Bans
MassDevice.com’s Guide to Gift Bans
The Massachusetts gifts ban goes into effect July 1. That means life science companies doing business in the Commonwealth, including medical device makers, must comply with its stringent regulations governing any gifts or payments to physicians of more than $50.
Massachusetts isn’t alone in its effort to regulate the life science industry. Vermont surpassed the Bay State’s famously strict rules with a gift ban of its own, requiring disclosure of all industry payments to doctors, and other states are considering similar rules.
Exact Sciences cuts research deal with Mayo Clinic, closes $8 million stock placement
Exact Sciences Corp. closed a pair of deals to boost both its research and development operations and its coffers.
The Marlborough-based colorectal cancer screening developer inked a deal with the Mayo Clinic to license patents developed by David Ahlquist. The patents, for sample processing, analytical testing and data analysis, will be folded into the non-invasive, stool-based DNA screen Exact hopes to bring to market.
