Say hello to MassDevice +7, a bite-sized view of the top seven med-tech stories of the week. This latest feature of MassDevice.com’s coverage highlights our seven biggest and most influential stories from the week’s news to make sure you’re up to date on the headlines that continue to shape the medical device industry.
7. Intuitive Surgical can’t dodge robot-assisted surgery training lawsuit
A Washington court permits a lawsuit accusing Intuitive Surgical of providing insufficient training for doctors using the da Vinci robot-assisted surgical system.
6. Covidien wins $177M from J&J’s Ethicon Endo-Surgery in ultrasound scalpel spat
A federal judge awards $177 million to Covidien in a patent infringement lawsuit with Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon Endo-Surgery subsidiary over ultrasonic scalpel technology.
5. Medtech M&A report: Quality beats quantity in 2012, with more activity ahead
There were fewer mergers and acquisitions in 2012 than in 2011 but the deals were more valuable, and analysts foresee more activity ahead in 2013.
4. Abbott Vascular warns on MitraClip
Abbott Vascular warned physicians of the rare risk of damage to its MitraClip heart valve if the device is misapplied.
3. Reps. Paulsen, Kind defend device tax repeal
Reps. Erik Paulsen (R-Minn.) and Ron Kind (D-Wisc.) defend efforts to repeal the medical device tax after a Washington Post editorial calls the recent Senate vote a "budget-busting mistake."
2. Will another Durata failure report drag St. Jude down?
St. Jude Medical continues to defend its next-generation Durata leads as a new case report describes an insulation failure that resulted in electrical failure in a single lead.
1. EXCLUSIVE: Former Sen. Brown tells medtech to “demand the real vote” on medical device tax repeal
Former Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) tells MassDevice.com in an exclusive interview that the medical device industry should demand a real vote to repeal the 2.3% medical device sales tax, rather than settle for the latest symbolic victory in the Senate.