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.
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5. Allergan closes $3B Acelity LifeCell buy
Acelity said today that it closed the sale of its regenerative medicine unit, LifeCell, to Allergan for $2.9 billion in cash.
The deal brings LifeCell’s regenerative medicine and reconstructive portfolio to Allergan, joining a portfolio of medical aesthetics, breast implant and tissue expander product lines. Dublin-based Allergan said it expects to bring in $450 million in revenue this year, growing at a mid-single digit rate. Read more
4. Medtronic wins FDA clearance for CardioInsight 3D mapping tech
Medtronic said today that it won 510(k) clearance from the FDA for its CardioInsight Noninvasive 3D mapping system, which was designed to map irregular heart rhythms in the upper and lower chambers of the heart and provide electroanatomic 3D maps of the heart.
The CardioInsight system is the 1st commercially available, noninvasive cardiac electrical mapping system in the world, according to Medtronic, and avoids the invasive steps of a traditional procedure to determine the origin of a patient’s irregular heart rhythm. Read more
3. Abbott wins FDA nod for MRI-safe Assurity pacemaker
Abbott said today that the FDA approved magnetic resonance-conditional labeling for its Assurity MRI pacemaker and its Tendril MRI pacing lead. The federal watchdog’s approval makes its Assurity device the world’s smallest, longest-lasting wireless MRI-compatible pacemaker, the company reported.
During an MRI scan, Abbott’s MRI Activator device triggers pre-programmed MRI settings for the Assurity pacemaker, eliminating the need for conventional pre- and post-scan pacemaker reprogramming. Read more
2. Intuitive Surgical dodges class-action lawsuit over da Vinci robot-assisted surgery device
Intuitive Surgical dodged a class-action product liability lawsuit yesterday when a federal judge in Georgia dismissed the case with prejudice.
Plaintiffs Gabriel Fernando Nassar Cure and Dr. Alan Kozarsky sued Intuitive in June 2016 on behalf of all mitral valve surgery patients treated using the company’s da Vinci robot-assisted surgery platform over the past 2 years. Cure and Kozarsky alleged that the da Vinci devices used in their procedures at Atlanta’s St. Joseph’s Hospital left tiny metallic particles behind that eventually found their way to their brains. Read more
1. Medtronic looks to sell $5B medical supplies biz
Medtronic is working with advisors for a possible sale of its medical supplies business, according to a Bloomberg report.
The process is reportedly in an early stage, but the Fridley, Minn.-based company has been looking for prospective buyers for the division, which could be worth $5 billion. Read more
