Medical Devices Today

TCT 2010: TAVI Takes Center Stage

Article preview from Medtech Insight - December 01, 2010

In the interventional cardiology community, 2010 could certainly be considered a breakthrough year for percutaneous heart valve devices. At two major US cardiology conferences: the American College of Cardiology in the spring, and most recently, the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics symposium, held in September, impressive results from randomized trials of transcatheter heart valve replacement/repair devices set the venues abuzz and had physicians speculating about possible near-term paradigm shifts in the way heart valve disease will be treated. The big questions now are how long it will take before these devices reach the US market, and exactly how many US patients are likely to be implanted once they are available.

Hospitals Up the Ante in Device Purchasing Decisions

Article preview from Medtech Insight - December 01, 2010

In many US hospitals, materials, purchasing, and supply chain executives often have the clout to influence thumbs-up or thumbs-down decisions on most new products that enter the building. That is one major reason why medical device manufacturers are waking up to the fact that so-called "me-too" items and minor upgrades to existing products aren't as acceptable to hospitals as they once were. But in the evolving market in materials office supplies, smart manufacturers with a clear path to working alongside materials executives offer products that keep costs down, add to patient safety, and enhance patient care.

Device M&A; Rebound Continues: With Ardian, Sadra Deals Show Appetite For Big, Early-Stage Acquisitions

Article preview from In-Vivo- December 1, 2010

The year looks to be closing strong in terms of device M&A as the rebound we noted last month has continued, highlighted by the recent acquisitions of Ardian, with its novel percutaneous technology for hypertension (and perhaps other conditions), by Medtronic in what could turn out to be a billion dollar deal, and Boston Scientific's leap into the hot transcatheter valve space with its acquisition of Sadra Medical. At a time when acquirers and investors claim to be looking primarily for more mature, commercial-stage companies, these deals indicate that there remains a robust demand for truly innovative devices that address significant unmet needs and markets.

Ophthalmology Community Focuses on Laser Cataract Technology

 Article preview from Medtech Insight- December 1, 2010

Among new technologies discussed at three major ophthalmology conferences this fall, it was the emerging field of laser cataract surgery that generated the greatest interest among attendees, although the first system is just now being launched commercially and there are many unanswered questions regarding the economics of this promising technology and how it will be adopted.

Medical Device Interoperability: Unattainable or Inevitable? An Interview With Julian M. Goldman, MD

Article preview from Medtech Insight- December 1, 2010

Electronic medical records will drive increasing demand for standards-based medical device interoperability, an advance that could enable real-time population of the EMR and the development of "smart" systems capable of integrating disparate clinical information. But what are the issues surrounding medical device interoperability? And what it mean for medical device manufacturers? Medtech Insight interviews Julian Goldman, MD, the founding director of Medical Device Plug-and-Play Interoperability Program at the Center for Integration of Medicine and Innnovative Technology.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring: A Case Study for Commercializing Products In The Era of Patient-Driven Health Care

Article preview from IN VIVO- November 01, 2010

Continuous glucose monitoring for patients with diabetes presents an example of how an individual product has far less value than the integrated solution the technology enables. While continuous glucose monitoring offers significant value to a broad range of patients, the technology has still not fulfilled its market potential. Factors hindering more widespread adoption include inaccuracy, difficulty in using the systems, and low levels of patient adherence. But the greatest obstacle in CGM is the disconnect between CGM and treatment planning; CGM produces mounds of data that patients and even physicians don't know how to use. According to Health Care Advances, if this powerful dataset is optimized, shared, and applied, it could shift CGM from a niche product for a small number of type 1 diabetes patients into a standard of care for many metabolic diseases.

TCT 2010: TAVI Takes Center Stage

Article preview from Medtech Insight- December 01, 2010

In the interventional cardiology community, 2010 could certainly be considered a breakthrough year for percutaneous heart valve devices. At two major US cardiology conferences: the American College of Cardiology in the spring, and most recently, the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics symposium, held in September, impressive results from randomized trials of transcatheter heart valve replacement/repair devices set the venues abuzz and had physicians speculating about possible near-term paradigm shifts in the way heart valve disease will be treated. The big questions now are how long it will take before these devices reach the US market, and exactly how many US patients are likely to be implanted once they are available.

Deals Update

Article preview from Medtech Insight- October 01, 2010

A roundup of recent medtech strategic alliances, mergers & acquisitions and financings.

Miromatrix Medical: Recellularizing and Regenerating Tissues and Organs

Article preview from Medtech Insight -October 01, 2010

Noteworthy news from medtech start-ups. This month we profile Miromatrix Medical, which is developing perfusion decellularization technology for regenerating tissues and organs, and CardiOx, which is developing a noninvasive PFO screening test.

Glaucoma: Devices Go Eye-to-Eye With Drugs

Article preview from Medtech Insight -October 01, 2010

Despite decades of effort, the treatment of glaucoma, the second leading cause of blindness in the world, has the hallmark of a clinical field that's still somewhat early in its development. There is as yet no clinical consensus regarding preferred therapies and potential treatments are few and very different from one another. Current glaucoma therapies range from drugs offering maximum safety and minimal efficacy to surgical procedures offering greater efficacy but also greater risks.