Kai Worrell believes that virtual and mixed reality may change the way companies design medical devices, and he’s putting that idea into practice. “We think it’s going to transform the way we do feasibility testing and cognitive walk-through simulations,” he said. “We think it’s going to help us understand the cognition of our users, clinical […]
Medtronic
Japan approves Medtronic’s Micra leadless pacemaker
Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) said today that Japanese regulators approved its Micra leadless pacemaker, which it claims as the world’s smallest pacemaker. At 1/10th the size of a conventional pacemaker, or roughly the size of a large vitamin, Micra is designed to be implanted via catheter in the right ventricle to deliver single-chamber pacing. The device has an estimated 12-year […]
Medtronic launches Signia stapler
Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) said today it launched its Signia stapling system in the US, Western Europe and Japan. The newly launched stapler from the Fridley, Minn.-based company includes Adaptive Firing technology which adjusts the stapler’s speed based on tissue variability measurements for more consistent staple lines. The device also includes 1-hand staple firing to allow for […]
FDA expands indication for Medtronic’s Freezor Xtra cryoablation catheter
Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) said today that it won an expanded indication from the FDA for its Freezor Xtra cryoablation catheter for treating atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia. Fridley, Minn.-based Medtronic said the Freezor Xtra catheter is a flexible, single-use device used to freeze cardiac tissue and block unnecessary electrical signals within the heart. “Medtronic is pleased with […]
Medtronic wins temporary reprieve in ex-rep’s whistleblower suit
Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) got a temporary reprieve this week in a whistleblower lawsuit brought by a former sales rep over its Verte-Stack spine implants Bryan Shapiro, a former rep for Medtronic’s spine business, filed a whistleblower lawsuit in July 2016, alleging that Medtronic and its subsidiaries “engaged in a fraudulent scheme that caused the Medicare and Medicaid Programs to pay […]
FDA expands indication for Medtronic’s OsteoCool
Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) said today that it won an expanded indication from the FDA for its OsteoCool RF ablation device for palliative treatment of metastases in all bony anatomy. The OsteoCool RF device was previously indicated for use in the spine, according to Fridley, Minn.-based Medtronic. It’s used to ablate metastatic bone tumors. Medtronic acquired the technology […]
Baxter snags Medtronic vet Oesterle | Personnel Moves | February 14, 2017
Baxter (NYSE:BAX) announced earlier this month it tapped former Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) senior VP of medicine and tech Stephen Oesterle for its board of directors, bringing the total seats on the board to 12. Oesterle moved to the venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates last Sept from his position at Medtronic. Before moving to NEA, Oesterle served […]
Medtronic launches DxTerity, TRA-line of radial access devices for PCIs
Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) today announced a slew of new percutaneous coronary intervention devices it added to its portfolio, including the DxTerity diagnostic angiography catheter line, the DxTerity TRA, InTRAkit transradial devices and the TRAcelet compression device. The Fridley, Minn.-based company said all of the items have already received FDA clearance in the US and CE Mark approval […]
Medtronic debuts outcomes training program for EMEA
Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) said today that it’s launching a outcomes-based training program in Europe, the Middle East & Africa that aims to reach 500,000 healthcare providers over the next 5 years. It’s part of the push toward “value-based healthcare” for the world’s largest pure-play medical device maker, which chairman & CEO Omar Ishrak has championed for […]
UPDATE: Medtronic wins Health Canada license for drug-coated balloon, touts Japanese data
Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) touted 1 year data from the In.Pact SFA Japan trial of its drug-coated balloon compared to plain balloon angioplasty. The company also said today it won regulatory approval in Canada for its In.Pact Admiral DCB in patients with peripheral artery disease in the upper leg. The trial enrolled 100 patients, 68 of whom […]
NIH launches pivotal trials for artificial pancreas
The National Institutes of Health said this week that it is funding 4 projects dedicated to testing fully automated artificial pancreas devices in patients with Type I diabetes. The race to develop an artificial pancreas met a milestone last year, after the FDA approved Medtronic’s (NYSE:MDT) hybrid model of an artificial pancreas – the 1st of its kind […]