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Interim results from Spectranetics laser atherectomy catheter study on ISR

Spectranetics Corporation today announced six month interim results from the PATENT (Photo-Ablation using the TURBO-Booster and Excimer Laser for In-Stent Restenosis Treatment) study evaluating the safety and efficacy of the Spectranetics peripheral laser atherectomy catheters for the treatment of in-stent restenosis (ISR) in the femoropopliteal artery in the leg.

3 Feb 2012

St. Jude Medical fourth quarter net sales increase 4% to $1.407B

St. Jude Medical, Inc. today reported sales and net earnings for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2011.

25 Jan 2012

Link between pacemaker-detected atrial arrhythmias and stroke

An irregular heartbeat that you don't even feel but can be picked up by a pacemaker is associated with a significantly increased risk of stroke, says a new McMaster University study.

12 Jan 2012

DBS safe and effective for treatment-resistant depression in patients with unipolar MDD or BP

A new study shows that deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a safe and effective intervention for treatment-resistant depression in patients with either unipolar major depressive disorder (MDD) or bipolar ll disorder.

3 Jan 2012

Clinical trials highlight beneficial effect of CRT in heart failure

However, large-scale clinical trials have highlighted the beneficial effect of cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) in the improvement of symptoms and reduction of mortality, and CRT is now recommended in the major European and American guidelines for the treatment and prevention of heart failure.

19 Dec 2011

Donated permanent pacemakers safe and effective for Indian heart patients

Many heart patients in India are too poor to afford pacemakers. But a study has found that removing pacemakers from deceased Americans, resterilizing the devices and implanting them in Indian patients "is very safe and effective."

From Medtronic 7 Dec 2011

Medicare tightening payments for 'big ticket' cardiology and orthopedic procedures in 11 states

In an effort to rein in costs, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will in 2012 perform an audit before paying for certain cardiology and orthopedic procedures in key states, including Florida.

6 Dec 2011

Nanosized metallic particles on implant surfaces may reduce risk of rejection

Coating the surface of an implant such as a new hip or pacemaker with nanosized metallic particles reduces the risk of rejection, and researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, can now explain why: they fool the innate immune system.

30 Nov 2011

HGNS increases airflow during sleep in patients with OSA

Hypoglossal nerve stimulation (HGNS) produced marked dose-related increases in airflow in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients without arousing them from sleep, according to a new study from the Johns Hopkins Sleep Disorders Center.

25 Nov 2011

BIOTRONIK announces first implantations of new Lumax 740 ICDs

BIOTRONIK, a leading manufacturer of innovative medical technology, announced today the first implantations of the new Lumax 740 implantable cardiac defibrillators—the world's first and only ICDs eligible for use with magnetic resonance imaging.

23 Nov 2011

New possibilities for relief from digestive diseases

As a researcher in neurogastroenterology for 40 years, professor Khalil Bitar has spent his professional life studying the causes of perplexing and what frequently become embarrassing problems for humans—issues such as constipation, diarrhea and colon disease.

17 Nov 2011

Flexible brain implant could treat epileptic seizures

Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have developed a flexible brain implant that could one day be used to treat epileptic seizures. In animal studies, the researchers used the device - a type of electrode array that conforms to the brain's surface - to take an unprecedented look at the brain activity underlying seizures.

14 Nov 2011

Avanir seeks EMA marketing authorization for NUEDEXTA to treat pseudobulbar affect

Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has submitted an application to the European Medicines Agency seeking marketing authorization for NUEDEXTA (dextromethorphan HBr and quinidine sulfate) for the treatment of pseudobulbar affect.

31 Oct 2011

New, more effective DBS paradigm may manage Parkinson's symptoms

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a devastating and incurable disease that causes abnormal poverty of movement, involuntary tremor, and lack of coordination. A technique called deep brain stimulation (DBS) is sometimes used to improve motor symptoms in patients with advanced disease. Now, a study published by Cell Press in the October 20 issue of the journal Neuron describes a new and more effective DBS paradigm that makes real-time adjustments in response to disease dynamics and progression and may be better for managing symptoms of advanced PD.

20 Oct 2011

St. Jude Medical third quarter net sales increase 12% to $1.383 billion

St. Jude Medical, Inc. today reported sales and net earnings for the third quarter ended October 1, 2011.

19 Oct 2011

Largest prospective study of MRI in patients with implanted devices

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), an important diagnostic test, has traditionally been off limits to more than 2 million people in the United States who have an implanted pacemaker to regulate heart rhythms or an implanted defibrillator to prevent sudden cardiac death.

4 Oct 2011

HBI, TPF launch One Heart Magazine

Heartbeat International Foundation, Inc. (HBI), in partnership with The Publishing Firm Inc (TPF), today announced that it will launch its new publication, One Heart Magazine, to coincide with World Heart Day on September 29, 2011.

30 Sep 2011

U-M receives $2.2M FDA grant for 40 ongoing pediatric device projects

Adapting adult medical devices to be used for children is a common but often problematic practice across U.S. hospitals. At the University of Michigan and U-M C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, pediatricians and researchers who care for children have been leading the charge to change this. They work to create, engineer and test medical devices and curb problems that come from using tools, implants, gadgets and procedures designed for adults.

26 Sep 2011

St. Jude Medical to again participate in Asia-Pacific Heart Rhythm Society Scientific Session

St. Jude Medical, Inc., a global medical device company, is pleased to again participate in the Asia-Pacific Heart Rhythm Society Scientific Session (APHRS), which is being held this year in conjunction with the Japanese Heart Rhythm Society (JHRS) and the Japanese Society of Electrocardiology (JSE) in Fukuoka, Japan.

16 Sep 2011

Heart specialists reveal how pacemaker works at the biological level

Heart specialists at Johns Hopkins have figured out how a widely used pacemaker for heart failure, which makes both sides of the heart beat together to pump effectively, works at the biological level.

15 Sep 2011