Say hello to MassDevice +3, a bite-sized view of the top three medtech stories of the day. This feature of MassDevice.com’s coverage highlights our 3 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.

 

3. FDA approves 1st exoskeleton to help paralyzed walk again

FDA regulators announced this evening that they approved for the U.S. market the 1st robotic exo-suit for helping patients with lower-body paralysis walk upright.

Called ReWalk , the motorized system is comprised of metal leg braces that strap around the legs and back, supplying movement to joints in the hips, knees and ankles. The system includes a watch-based remote that controls the suit’s movements and patients rely on crutches to provide stability. Read more

2. Boston startup raises $6M for heart monitoring bracelet

Boston-based fitness startup Whoop Inc. raised a stealthy $6 million this month from 14 unnamed investors.

Whoop has revealed few details about its business since spinning out of Harvard’s Innovation Lab in 2012, back when the company was called Bobo Analytics. The company said at the time that it was working a sensor-laden wristband that could continuously monitor heart rate and movement, hoping for present an alternative to the standard chest-strap monitors in use today. Read more

1. EXCLUSIVE: Medtronic’s strategy guru on the $43B Covidien buy

The pending $43 billion merger of Medtronic and Covidien triggered speculation that the combined medical device giant would scale back on its strategic investment program. After all, there’s a lot to digest in integrating a buyout of that size, the thinking goes, and the move likely takes 2 prolific acquirers off the board.

But the opposite is true, according to Geoff Martha, the Medtronic strategy & business development executive charged with managing the integration of Covidien. Read more