MASSDEVICE ON CALL — A team of French doctors were the 1st to implant a patient with a customized spinal cage, thanks to 3D printed technology and development by device maker Medicrea.
Medicrea’s UNiD system 1st creates 3D digital images of a patient’s spinal anatomy, using them as a blueprint to produce an inter-body device aligned perfectly to the patients’ spine. The cages separate the vertebrae to restore proper alignment, with a spinal screw for added stability.
The 1st UNiD spinal cage surgery was performed late last month in Lyons, France, at the Hospital Jean Mermoz, according to a press release.
"The intersomatic cage, specifically ‘printed’ by Medicrea for my patient, positioned itself automatically in the natural space between the vertebrae and molded ideally with the spine by joining intimately with the end plates, despite their relative asymmetry and irregularity," implanting surgeon Dr. Vincent Fiere said in prepared remarks. "I could also very precisely perform the restoration of the disc height and simultaneously correct the degree of lumbar lordosis using plans I had made several days before the operation with the help of Medicrea’s Surgimap software tool."
Medicrea is also awaiting patents to use its system to create bone implants, the company said.
Defib shirt pares down the wearable defibrillator
Students at Johns Hopkins University designed a shirt-like garment that they hope can provide some peace of mind for patients who may need life-saving shocks to the heart when paramedics aren’t around.
Read more
Apple’s health strategy relies on self-trackers
Consumer tech giant Apple (NSDQ:AAPL) is putting a lot of skin into digital health, betting that personal tracking will take off, even as some analysts warn that activity and fitness trackers such as FitBit are losing their audiences.
Read more
FDA gets a new head honcho
New Health & Human Services Secretary Sylvia Matthews Burwell will be sworn in this week, taking over for outgoing secretary Kathleen Sebelius.
Read more
Johnson & Johnson funds medtech innovators’ competition
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) companies add an extra $50,000 to the reward money going to the winner of the MedTech Innovator Top 10 contest.
Read more