MassDevice.com +5 | The top 5 medtech stories for October 19, 2017

October 19, 2017 By MassDevice Leave a Comment

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. This surgical glue seals wounds in 60 seconds

A potentially life-saving surgical glue that is highly elastic and adhesive can quickly seal wounds in seconds without the need for common staples or sutures.

The surgical glue, called MeTro, is a development from biomedical engineers at the University of Sydney and biomedical engineers from Harvard University. Read more

4. Pixium Vision wins French approval for Prima sub-retinal implant study

Pixium Vision said today it won approval from France’s regulatory agency to launch a feasibility clinical study of its next-gen Prima sub-retinal implant in patients with advanced dry age-related macular degeneration.

The Prima system is a next-gen wireless implant with a micro photovoltaic chip designed to be implanted under the retina to convert pulsed near-infra-red invisible light received from external glasses with an integrated mini-camera into electrical signals transmitted to the brain through the optic nerve, the company said. Read more

3. Report: Former Eli Lilly exec Azar considered front-runner for HHS spot

The Trump administration is giving top consideration to former Eli Lilly executive and George W. Bush admin official Alex Azar to operate as head of the Health and Human Services, according to a Politico report.

A White House official said that Trump has signed off on Azar, while other officials commented that he had been shortlisted and warned that the decision wouldn’t be final until a formal announcement had been made, according to the report. Read more

2. Insulet, Dexcom partner to lure ex-Animas users

Insulet and Dexcom yesterday floated a joint promotion aimed at luring users of the Animas insulin pump after Johnson & Johnson bails out of the insulin pump biz.

The companies are hoping to chip off a piece of the diabetes market from Medtronic, to which J&J has offered to help some 90,000 Animas patients transfer (J&J is also evaluating another of its diabetes businesses, LifeScan, which makes the OneTouch line of blood glucose monitoring products). Read more

1. Johnson & Johnson to acquire German surgery software maker Surgical Process Institute

Johnson & Johnson agreed to pay an unspecified amount to acquire Germany’s Surgical Process Institute, which makes software for standardizing and digitizing surgical workflows.

The SPI Surgical Procedure Manager software is designed to generate a step-by-step checklist to ensure that “important safety checks are completed every time, in the same order, and all supporting processes are harmonized,” J&J said. Read more

Belmont Instruments acquires Israeli temperature management firm MTRE Advanced Technologies
Belmont Instrument (Billerica, Mass.) recently acquired MTRE Advanced Technologies. The financial details of the deal were not disclosed. The acquisition allows Belmont to extend its portfolio to include non-invasive body temperature management solutions. MTRE’s normothermia management products include the Allon system and ThermoWrap disposable garment, as well as the temperature management portfolio including the CritiCool system […]
Medtech venture investing trends: Here’s what you need to know
Ask any early-stage medtech or digital health entrepreneur, and they’ll tell you how tough it is. There’s tremendous competition for venture investing, coupled with a pullback by previously traditional investors in this space. Bill Evans While venture investment in medtech and digital health has recovered since the financial crisis of a decade ago — setting […]
Medtech stories we missed this week: June 22, 2018
From Accuray’s India approval to Masimo and PositiveID launching a Bluetooth-enabled thermometer, here are seven medtech stories we missed this week but thought were still worth mentioning. 1. India approves Accuray’s Radixact X9 radiation therapy device Accuray announced in a June 21 press release that it has received an Atomic Energy Regulatory Board Type Approval in India […]
Nitto Kohki touts Cube Cupla couplings
Nitto Kohki is touting its small and lightweight coupling called the Cube Cupla. The L-shaped Cube Cupla comes in five color variations. It prevents misconnection of piping and has easy and quick piping connection and disconnection. Cube Cupla is ideal for applications such as air piping of muscle compression machines for training and ink piping […]
White House proposes 30% cut to FDA headcount, reorganization
The Trump administration this week submitted a proposal that would cut the budget and staff at the FDA, as well as reorganizing the agency to remove food regulation from its purview, according to a new Endpoints News report. The proposal would cut $1.3 billion in resources from the agency and 5,000 members of its staff […]
Study: No difference in complications, survival rate between robot-assisted and open bladder surgeries
A seven-year study comparing outcomes from robotic and open cystectomy procedures showed no statistically significant difference in complications or survival rate between the two methods. The randomized open versus robotic cystectomy study, known as the Razor trial, is touted as the first comprehensive study to compare outcomes between robotic and traditional open surgeries in any […]
Johnson & Johnson hits the Big Apple with latest JLabs site
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) opened its latest life science incubator in New York City, the healthcare giant said today. The 30,000-square-foot JLabs @ NYC is a collaboration between Johnson & Johnson Innovation, New York State and the New York Genome Center. Sited at the genome center in SoHo, the incubator is home to 26 startups and […]
This wireless system powers devices inside the body
Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers and Brigham and Women’s Hospital scientists have developed a wireless, ingestible system that can power and communicate with devices that are implanted deep within the body. The researchers suggest that the system could be used to deliver drugs, monitor conditions inside the body or treat diseases by stimulating the brain […]
Resonetics acquires Swiss manufacturer Medelec
Resonetics (Nashua, N.H.) announced today that it has acquired Medelec (Puidoux, Switzerland). The financial details of the deal were not disclosed. “We are excited about the Medelec team joining Resonetics. Marc and Sandra But have established a very strong reputation in the medtech industry for precision and quality and have made significant investments in technology […]
Data Sciences International launches inhalation exposure system
Data Sciences International, a subsidiary of Harvard Bioscience, recently launched a new inhalation and exposure system called the DSI Buxco Inhalation Exposure System. The new inhalation exposure system is designed for ease-of-use for researchers while also giving them flexibility. It features remote sensors and hardware control system that are linked by a microprocessor-based feedback loop. […]
Medical devices: When should you make them smarter?
The drive toward value in healthcare has increased demand for smarter medical devices able to provide information for real-time feedback, as well as after-the-fact analysis. So when does it make sense to actually make a medical device smarter? And how do you go about it? Tom KraMer, CEO of Kablooe Design outside Minneapolis, has a […]