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Assuring Medical Equipment Reliability; The Role of Medical Connectors

Our medical connectors are used on a variety of medical devices. Here in the U.S. medical devices are approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and classified into three risk categories, classes I, II and III.

From Stäubli 21 Apr 2017

Conscious sedation is viable option to general anesthesia for TAVR, UCLA study finds

UCLA scientists have found that conscious sedation - a type of anesthesia in which patients remain awake but are sleepy and pain-free - is a safe and viable option to general anesthesia for people undergoing a minimally invasive heart procedure called transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

12 Apr 2017

Closing left atrial appendage linked to reduction in stroke risk for AFib patients

For patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib), a common heart rhythm disorder, closing the area of the heart known as the left atrial appendage as an add-on procedure during cardiac surgery was associated with a 40 percent reduction in the risk of thromboembolism (a condition when a blood clot forms and blocks an artery, which can cause a stroke or other complications) according to an observational study presented at the American College of Cardiology's 66th Annual Scientific Session.

20 Mar 2017

Study reveals link between endovascular procedures and microbleeding in the brain

Small leakages from blood vessels in the brain, known as microbleeds, increase with age and are associated with cognitive decline. Of 84 older patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), nearly a quarter developed new microbleeds after their procedure, according to results of a single-center study presented at the American College of Cardiology's 66th Annual Scientific Session.

20 Mar 2017

Continuation of statins may improve survival following heart surgery, research shows

Patients on statins should not stop taking the cholesterol-lowering medication before heart surgery—even on the day of surgery, according to an article posted online today in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

16 Mar 2017

Milli-robots powered by MRI could provide targeted minimally invasive treatment

Invasive surgical techniques - cutting through the breastbone for open heart surgery or making a large incision to inspect an abdominal tumor - allow physicians to effectively treat disease but can lead to sometimes serious complications and dramatically slow healing for the patient.

7 Mar 2017

Study reveals inaccuracy of exercise test that could lead to unnecessary open heart surgeries

An approved international test to check whether people need open heart surgery could be sending twice as many people under the knife unnecessarily, at a cost of nearly £75m, research by the University of Leicester has suggested.

24 Feb 2017

More than half of AF patients who undergo catheter ablation become asymptomatic, study reports

More than half of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) become asymptomatic after catheter ablation, reports the largest study of the procedure published today in European Heart Journal.

19 Jan 2017

Global Mycobacterium chimaera outbreak linked to heater-cooler devices used in cardiac surgery

A global outbreak of Mycobacterium chimaera, an invasive, slow-growing bacterium, is linked to heater-cooler devices (HCD) used in cardiac surgery, according to a study published today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

14 Nov 2016

Transcatheter cerebral embolic protection effectively captures embolic debris and safe in TAVR patients

An international study has found that transcatheter cerebral embolic protection (TCEP) is safe, provides effective capture of embolic debris and does not change neurocognitive function for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) patients.

2 Nov 2016

New wearable electronic device could revolutionise treatment for stroke patients

Stroke patients are starting a trial of a new electronic device to recover movement and control of their hand.

19 Oct 2016

Contaminated devices used during open heart surgery could put patients at risk for infections

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is warning healthcare providers and patients about the potential risk of infection from certain devices used during open heart (open-chest) surgery.

13 Oct 2016

UHZ cardiologists use innovative catheter technology to repair tricuspid valve

A team led by Francesco Maisano, co-director of the University Heart Center at the University Hospital Zurich and professor for Heart Surgery at the University of Zurich, made up of heart surgeons and cardiologists used new catheter technology to repair a leaky tricuspid valve for the very first time.

26 Sep 2016

Simplified approach to TAVI holds potential to save lives of many patients with rheumatic heart disease

A novel heart valve replacement method is revealed today that offers hope for the thousands of patients with rheumatic heart disease who need the procedure each year. The research is being presented at the SA Heart Congress 2016

9 Sep 2016

Sutter Health among the first to offer Absorb dissolving stent for patients with coronary artery disease

Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento and Mills-Peninsula Health Services, both affiliates of Sutter Health, will be among the first in the country to offer patients with coronary artery disease a new treatment option, the Abbott Absorb stent, which literally disappears in the body over time.

30 Jul 2016

New analysis reveals ways to reduce patient's risk of postoperative pneumonia after cardiac surgery

Pneumonia is the most prevalent infection after open heart surgery, leading to longer hospital stays and lower odds of survival.

26 Jul 2016

Novel device for mitral valve repair shows success in human study

Researchers investigating a novel device to repair the mitral heart valve report 100 percent procedural success in a safety and performance study, the first such study done in humans.

19 Jul 2016

Clinical study examines new treatment option for aortic stenosis patients with larger valve structure

A clinical trial exploring a new minimally invasive treatment option for some patients with severe aortic stenosis recently launched at Baylor Jack and Jane Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital.

14 Jul 2016

UTHealth researchers examine effectiveness of Sapien 3 TAVR in low-risk patients with aortic stenosis

The Structural Heart Program team at McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston is among the first in the country to investigate the safety and effectiveness of Edwards Lifesciences Sapien 3 transcatheter aortic heart valve in low surgical risk patients who suffer from severe aortic valve disease.

8 Jul 2016

The future of simulated teaching methods

In healthcare, we have physicians, nurses and paramedics who know the textbook by heart and know exactly what they need to do, but have never experienced the procedure first-hand, or they have no experience responding to adverse events that may occur.

24 Jun 2016