Under pressure from the FDA, officials in Cobb County, Ga., may allow Sterigenics to reopen a medical device sterilization plant sooner than expected to address the coronavirus pandemic. Oak Park, Ill.-based Sterigenics temporarily shut the Atlanta plant on August 26 to voluntarily upgrade emission controls for ethylene oxide (EtO), the carcinogenic gas it used to […]
coronavirus
Here at MassDevice — medtech's online business journal — we're covering news about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic daily. Here is the latest about coronavirus and the medical device industry, regulatory changes related to the pandemic, new tests for the virus, vaccine development, and much more.
Study tests proven blood clot buster against COVID-19
While vaccines and pharmaceutical treatments for COVID-19 might be far off, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of Colorado are exploring a stopgap measure that could buy time for critically ill patients, according to a news release by the two institutions. In a clinical trial being planned for hospitals in Massachusetts and […]
Former GE medtech chief and imaging pioneer Walter Robb dies of coronavirus
Walter Robb — who led the medical business at General Electric (NYSE:GE) through much of the 1970s and ’80s as it became a profitable maker of CT scanners and MRI systems — is dead from coronavirus at age 92, according to media reports. Robb died early on the morning of March 23 at a hospital […]
FDA advises on increasing supply for PPE
The FDA today said it is taking action to increase U.S. supplies to support the manufacturing of personal protective equipment and other devices in response to COVID-19. The FDA said it is facilitating access to critical personal protective equipment (PPE) and devices by engaging with importers and others involved in the import trade community during […]
Superfeet offers 3D-printing services to medtech companies to combat coronavirus
Insole and footwear maker Superfeet announced today that it is offering immediate access to 3D printers and/or production facilities to help with short-term demand for medical supplies as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The Ferndale, Wash.–based company said its normal business is taking a pause, so it is teaming up with sister company Flowbuilt […]
How medtech contract manufacturers are managing during the coronavirus pandemic
From invoking their business continuity plans to marshaling their pandemic teams, medical device contract manufacturers are finding ways to keep business going during the coronavirus pandemic. Medical Design & Outsourcing conducted an informal survey of manufacturers and other companies that serve the medtech industry. Here’s some of what we learned. Get the full story on our […]
3M partners with Ford for coronavirus response
3M (NYSE:MMM) and Ford Motor Co. announced that they are entering into a partnership in an effort to increase the production of 3M’s PAPRs (powered air-purifying respirators) in response to the shortages caused by the coronavirus outbreak. The two companies plan to collaborate on specific means to rapidly combine each others’ capabilities and resources to meet […]
SGI-DNA touts its automated gene printer for coronavirus vaccine development
Synthetic biology company SGI-DNA is touting its efforts to accelerate research in the creation of vaccines for SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing the COVID-19 pandemic. The San Diego-based company said in a news release last month that it built the genes thought to be critical to developing successful vaccines against the virus and made those tools available as […]
Trump administration to use Defense Production Act for first time
The Trump administration will use the Defense Production Act to secure about 60,000 coronavirus test kits — and will insert DPA language into a contract for 500 million protective masks, according to media reports. FEMA chief Peter Gaynor broke the news on CNN today. He stressed that the administration still wants to be careful not […]
Zoll says it will make 10k ventilators a month
Zoll Medical Corp. announced that it is increasing its manufacturing capacity to 10,000 ventilators per month in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chelsmford, Mass.–based Zoll reached out to its supply base, which is mostly stationed in the U.S., to enlist its support as it ramps up its ventilator production nearly 25-fold compared to recent production […]
University of Minnesota researcher touts makeshift $150 ventilator to treat coronavirus
The University of Minnesota is touting makeshift ventilators made from $150 in parts as potential solutions amid the shortage of equipment at healthcare facilities during the COVID-19 outbreak. According to a report in the Star Tribune of Minneapolis, researchers tested the prototype on a pig, keeping the animal breathing for an hour and confirming the possibility of […]