While engineered heart tissues can replicate muscle contraction and electrical activity in a dish, many aspects of heart disease can only adequately be captured in 3D. In a report published online yesterday by Nature Biomedical Engineering, researchers describe a scale model of a heart ventricle, built to replicate the chamber’s architecture, physiology and contractions. Cardiac […]
Cardiovascular
Cook Medical touts launch, first use of Advance CS, Compass CT systems
Cook Medical today announced the launch and first use of its Advance CS coronary sinus infusion catheter and Compass CT disposable pressure transducer designed for treating heart failure patients. The CS catheter is a percutaneous balloon infusion catheter designed for use in retrograde coronary sinus infusion procedures to infuse therapeutic agents into the heart via the […]
FDA recalls heart failure, blood pressure drugs due to cancerous contaminant
The FDA announced last week a voluntary recall of several high blood pressure and heart failure medications containing valsartan due to a cancerous impurity. Some valsartan drugs were found to contain N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a compound that is classified as a probable human carcinogen. Not all drugs containing valsartan were recalled, the FDA noted. Teva Pharmaceuticals (NYSE:TEVA), […]
Researchers deliver cardiac stem cell therapy in preclinical trial using refillable patch
Researchers have developed a small device designed to halt the effects of a heart attack by delivering a stem cell therapy directly to damaged cardiac tissue. In a study published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, researchers from Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the National University of Ireland Galway and Trinity College Dublin reported that the […]
Cerus lands additional $15m in government funding
Cerus (NSDQ:CERS) landed a $15 million amendment to its contract with the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, bringing the total potential value of its deal to $201 million. The expanded agreement is designed to support additional clinical trials of the company’s Intercept blood transfusion technology. Cerus’ Phase III […]
Boston Scientific’s drug-coated balloon succeeds in femoropopliteal segment at one year
Data from Boston Scientific‘s (NYSE:BSX) Ranger SFA trial showed that treatment with its drug-coated balloon succeeded in the femoropopliteal segment after one year and resulted in greater rates of patency, with fewer interventions, compared to standard balloon angioplasty. The results, which were published this month in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions, demonstrated that both groups of patients – […]
Medtech stories we missed this week: May 11, 2018
From ReShape submitting an approval application to Health Canada to Conavi receiving FDA clearance, here are seven medtech stories we missed this week but thought were still worth mentioning. 1. ReShape submits for Health Canada approval of ReShape balloon ReShape announced in a May 10 press release that it has submitted an application to the Medical Devices Bureau of […]
HRS 2018: Study questions benefit of ablation over drug therapy for atrial fibrillation
Long-awaited data released today from a large clinical trial comparing catheter ablation with drug therapy in treating atrial fibrillation showed no significant benefit for ablation, according to Dr. Douglas Packer, who presented the findings today at the annual meeting of the Heart Rhythm Society in Boston. The 2,204-patient trial, sponsored by the National Institutes of […]
For this Abbott executive, solving problems isn’t enough: ‘We need to add value’
As payers and providers across healthcare shift their focus to value-based care, leaders in the medical device industry are racing to keep up. Michael Pederson, SVP of cardiac arrhythmias and heart failure at Abbott, told MassDevice.com why simply solving problems with new technology isn’t enough anymore. What was your path like from electrical engineering to […]
Abbott’s Xience Sierra drug-eluting coronary stent wins reimbursement in Japan
Abbott (NYSE:ABT) said today that it won national reimbursement in Japan for its everolimus-eluting stent, Xience Sierra, which is designed to treat patients with coronary artery disease. The company’s latest drug-eluting device features a thinner profile, increased flexibility and longer lengths than previous stents, according to Abbott. The healthcare firm said it developed Xience Sierra to […]