Abbott touts positive MitraClip study results: Abbott is touting the results of a clinical study evaluating its MitraClip percutaneous mitral valve repair device. The device, which already has European approval, is designed to be percutaneously transfemorally delivered, to grasp and fasten together the mitral leaflets in patients with functional and degenerative MR. A second clip may be placed, similar to what is done in surgical E2E repair, to increase valve coaptation. All these new positive results bring hope that the device could become a standard alternative option to traditional surgical valve repairs for mitral regurgitation and so may prove to be a better approach for certain patients.

GE adds elastography to LOGIQ E9 ultrasound device: GE Healthcare added elastography capabilities to its flagship LOGIQ E9 ultrasound platform. Elastography uses mechanical compression to analyze the stiffness of tissues; the software calculates the strain in the region of interest after compression. This calculation creates an elastogram — a color overlay on top of the B-mode image that represents tissue elasticity. Pathologic lesions are usually considerably more resistant to compression than healthy tissue.

Envisionier endogoHD portable endoscopy system: Envisionier, of Woodstock, Ga., released what it claims to be “the world’s first battery-operated, portable, hand-held endoscopic video camera with integrated viewing and archiving capability.” The company is promoting this high definition endoscopic camera for ENT, Ob/Gyn, and urology.

Incontinence detector broadcasts the state of your pants: An Australian company called Simavita is releasing an incontinence detection device to be used in nursing homes across New South Wales. The SIMsystem uses a strip that detects liquid and a cellular device to send a note to a nursing station or a care provider.

A weekly roundup of new developments in medical technology, by MedGadget.com.