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Avinger raises $25 million for catheter development and commercialization

Avinger, Inc., medical device manufacturer of innovative, multi-functional catheters for treating peripheral artery disease (PAD), recently completed a $25 million Series B round of funding from a syndicate of highly successful entrepreneurs and executives.

12 Jan 2011

Mediterranean diet helps more than one chronic condition

In a study that was published in the Oct 13, 2001 issue of Diabetes Care, authors had reported that Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of developing diabetes significantly. Those on this diet were 52 percent less likely to develop diabetes, compared with those who adhered least to the diet. Salas-Salvadó J. of Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Reus, Spain and colleagues compared two groups of subjects following two Mediterranean diets, one with nuts at 30 grams per day and the other with olive oil at 1 liter per week, with those on a low-fat diet.

2 Jan 2011

Omnibus bill defeated; Congress will vote on continuing resolution to fund government through March 4

Senate Republicans defeated the proposed omnibus package on Thursday and Senate appropriators over the weekend fashioned "a short-term continuing resolution [CR] to fund the federal government for fiscal 2011," National Journal reports (Sanchez, 12/18).

21 Dec 2010

Diopsys develops new SD-OCT imaging software for ophthalmologists

Diopsys, today announced the development of software that uses existing Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography images to assist ophthalmologists and optometrists in diagnosing retinal and optic nerve disease such as glaucoma.

21 Dec 2010

Two patients receive first kidney transplants through OPTN national program

A man in St. Louis and a woman in New Hampshire have received the first kidney transplants made possible through a new national program of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network that uses a Carnegie Mellon University computer algorithm to match transplant candidates with living donors.

14 Dec 2010

NinePoint enters IP licensing agreement with Massachusetts General Hospital

NinePoint Medical, Inc., an emerging leader in the development of in vivo pathology medical devices, today announced it has entered into an intellectual property (IP) licensing agreement with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Under the agreement, NinePoint has certain exclusive rights in multiple fields to 188 patents and patent applications owned by MGH.

13 Dec 2010

Tomophase receives FDA 510(k) clearance to market Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging System

Tomophase Corporation, developer of the non-invasive Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging System (OCTIS™) and other devices, announced today that it has received FDA 510(k) clearance to market OCTIS.

10 Dec 2010

Total Immersion adds Vantage Surgical Systems to North American AR Partner network

Total Immersion, the global leader in augmented reality (AR), today announced the addition of Vantage Surgical Systems as a Certified D'Fusion Value Added Reseller to its North American Partner network, the world's largest network dedicated to AR.

30 Nov 2010

Micell initiates enrollment in DESSOLVE I clinical trial of MiStent DES

Micell Technologies,™ Inc. today announced it has enrolled at Mercy Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand, the first patient in DESSOLVE I (DES with Sirolimus and a bioabsorbable pOLymer for the treatment of patients with de noVo lEsions in the native coronary arteries), a first-in-human clinical trial of the company's investigational MiStent™ Drug Eluting Coronary Stent System (MiStent DES).

29 Nov 2010

Cerner products achieve CCHIT Complete EHR certification

Cerner Corporation announced today that PowerChart®, FirstNet®, ProFile®, HealthSentry®, Cerner Healthe, Cerner® Health Record, IQHealth® and P2Sentinel™ 2007.19.12 and P2Sentinel™ v4.2.1 is 2011/2012 compliant and was certified as a Complete EHR on Oct.28, 2010 by the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology, an Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology - Authorized Testing Certification Bodies, in accordance with the applicable Hospital certification criteria adopted by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

22 Nov 2010

U.S. federal court sanction lawyers at Gibson Dunn for abusive questioning in Ecuador environmental contamination

A U.S. federal court has sanctioned Chevron and its lawyers at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher for abusive questioning during a deposition related to the oil giant's multi-billion dollar liability in Ecuador for environmental contamination, according to court papers made available today.

20 Nov 2010

Thorax Institute presents 18-year experience with SynCardia Artificial Heart at Acute Cardiac Care meeting

On Oct. 17, Dr. Jean Christian Roussel from the Thorax Institute at University Hospital of Nantes presented the center's 18-year experience with the SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart at the Acute Cardiac Care 2010 medical meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark.

20 Nov 2010

State roundup: California PPOs 'low marks'; Geriatric nursing; Physician shortages

News outlets covered a range of developments including workforce issues in Minnesota and California, and a Kentucky order for insurers to provide child-only policies.

19 Nov 2010

OptiMedica's Catalys Precision Laser System improves precision in cataract surgery

Global ophthalmic device company OptiMedica Corp. has announced that results from a clinical study of its Catalys Precision Laser System were published in the peer-reviewed journal Science Translational Medicine.

18 Nov 2010

National pilot program facilitates kidney paired-donation transplants

A computer algorithm developed at Carnegie Mellon University matched living kidney donors with medically compatible transplant candidates late last month as the national Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), operated by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), began a national pilot program to increase the number of kidney paired-donation (KPD) transplants.

17 Nov 2010

Young father receives life-saving intervention prior heart transplant surgery

James "Jimmy" Armstrong hadn't missed a "Mac" in 28 years. At 44, he's one of the youngest "goats" in the Chicago Yacht Club. Sailors receive the designation of "goat" once they've completed 20 or more "Macs", the 333-mile boat race from Chicago to Mackinac, Mich. Armstrong has sailed the race every year since he was 16. But, he wasn't among the sailors this past July. Instead, he was in intensive care awaiting heart transplant following a harrowing experience spurred by severe case of myocarditis-a little-known condition causing inflammation of the heart muscle.

15 Nov 2010

Researchers find link between genetic defect and sticky mucus in cystic fibrosis

An imbalance of salt and water in patients with cystic fibrosis makes their lungs clog up with sticky mucus that is prone to infection. The cause of the offending imbalance is a well-known genetic error, one that blocks the molecular expressway for tiny chloride ions to move across the surface of the lungs.

15 Nov 2010

Scientists unveil mechanism of liver regeneration

The liver's unique ability among organs to regenerate itself has been little understood. Now Weill Cornell Medical College scientists have shed light on how the liver restores itself by demonstrating that endothelial cells the cells that form the lining of blood vessels play a key role.

12 Nov 2010

Butte radiologist settles lawsuit against St. James Healthcare

On Oct. 15, Butte radiologist Dr. Jesse A. Cole accepted a $4 million settlement in his lawsuit against St. James Healthcare and its parent corporation, the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health Systems, Inc., a Kansas not-for-profit corporation (not to be confused with the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth religious community, a separate entity).

11 Nov 2010

Scientists identify new way to drive dendritic cells from blood monocytes

Dendritic cells, known to be the prime movers of the body's immune response, are still notoriously difficult to study in humans. Samples, which come primarily from bone marrow or lymphoid tissue, are simply too difficult to obtain. But new research at Rockefeller University has shown scientists a way to study "authentic" dendritic cells from mouse monocytes, which are abundant in the blood, a much more accessible source in humans.