Say hello to MassDevice +5, a bite-sized view of the top five medtech stories of the day. This feature of MassDevice.com’s coverage highlights our 5 biggest and most influential stories from the day’s news to make sure you’re up to date on the headlines that continue to shape the medical device industry.
Get this in your inbox everyday by subscribing to our newsletters.
5. Silver and electricity can kill bacteria: Here’s how
Swedish researchers have developed a way to use silver nanoparticles and electrical currents to prevent bacteria from growing on plastic surfaces – helping to prevent hospital infections in the process.
Large electric currents and high silver concentrations are known to kill bacteria but pose a risk to humans. Before the Swedish Medical Nanoscience Center at Karolinska Institutet’s development, both components were never used in hospitals. Led by professor Agneta Richter-Dahlfors in Karolinska’s department of neuroscience, researchers were able to prove that dangerous levels of silver and electricity don’t have to be used to be effective in killing bacteria. Read more
4. J&J’s Ethicon launches ProxiSure laparoscopic suturing device
Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Ethicon said today it launched the ProxiSure laparoscopic suturing device.
Ethicon said the device features its endomechanical, suture and curved needle technologies to improve suturing precision in tight spaces. The device allows surgeons to reach desired angles, control bites and secure nots during suturing and knot tying to reduce the risk of needle loss, the company added. Read more
3. Medtronic supply woes buoy insulin device makers
Share prices for makers of insulin management devices got a bump today after Medtronic reported today that supply problems pushed sales down -1% for its diabetes division.
The Fridley, Minn.-based company, which released its fiscal 2018 first-quarter results this morning, posted diabetes revenues of $449 million for the three months ended July 28. The decline was driven by strong demand for Medtronic’s CGM-enabled insulin pumps, especially the MiniMed 670G hybrid closed-loop device. Read more
2. Titan Medical adds French hospital site to future Sport feasibility & validation study
Titan Medical said today it inked a deal with the French Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire de Strasbourg to participate in feasibility and validation studies of its Sport robotic surgical system as the company seeks regulatory clearance for the platform.
Toronto-based Titan Medical said it expects to initiate studies of its Sport system in the 4th quarter of this year, continuing into next year. Read more
1. Medtronic logs fiscal Q1 earnings beat, but sales miss the mark
Medtronic beat the consensus forecast on Wall Street with its fiscal 2018 first-quarter earnings, but missed the mark when it came to sales.
The world’s largest medical device operation today posted profits of $1.02 billion, or 74¢ per share, on sales of $7.39 billion for the three months ended July 28, for a bottom-line gain of 9.4% on sales growth of 3.1% compared with fiscal Q1 2017. Read more