January 26, 2010 — According to data appearing today in JAMA , patients with atrial fibrillation, a common heart rhythm disorder, who were treated with catheter ablation using the NaviStar ThermoCool Catheter demonstrated significantly better outcomes at one year compared to those receiving drug therapy.

January 27, 2010 – Robust blood pressure measurements via fiberoptic sensors will be added to the Abiomed Impella percutaneous ventricular assist device (P-VAD).

January 27, 2010 – A German study enrolled its first 20 patients to investigate the utility of muscular counter pulsation (MCP) in patients with early-stage heart failure.

January 26, 2010 – Surgical ventricular assist device (VAD) maker Thoratec Corp. acquired a catheter-based pump technology and plans to develop a minimally invasive, axial flow pump that can be delivered percutaneously in the cardiac catheterization lab.

January 25, 2010 – Expanding its peripheral vascular disease product offerings, Medtronic Inc. today signed an agreement to acquire Invatec and two affiliated companies.

January 25, 2010 - With more than 3,000 requests for medical devices to get 510(k) clearance each year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asked the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to conduct a comprehensive study of the process, which is not scheduled to be concluded for another year.

January 25, 2010 – First-in-man procedures and a feasibility study in Europe were recently initiated for a new minimally invasive aortic valve surgery system.

January 25, 2010 – Direct stenting of the carotid arteries is a feasible technique and is not inferior to predilation, according to a new study published in the International Journal of Cardiology (Feb. 4, 2010, vol. 138, issue 3, pages 233-238).