I repeatedly hear two competing, contradictory themes discussed at every symposia – the need to lower healthcare costs and that costs to bring new technology to market are rapidly increasing. The U.S. leadership position as a medical technological innovator is slipping to Europe, where there is a much wider selection of devices to choose from. The requirements to gain CE mark clearance are much more lenient than U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pre-market approval.
New developments in drug-eluting stents, such as biodegradable materials and bifurcated stents, are expected to prompt an increase in market value. Companies like Biosensors and Abbott are developing biodegradable and bifurcated stents to deal with concerns about thrombosis caused by long-term device implantation and to expand the type of treatable lesions, including those located at vessel branches.
The space needed and costs involved to create a hybrid operating room (OR) for a specific speciality may not be feasible, especially at mid-sized hospitals. This was the case at Middlesex Hospital in Middletown, Conn., where the facility wanted to increase procedural volume, but needed to upgrade its small operating rooms for vascular, endovascular, laparoscopic and endoscopic procedures.
Cardiac PET/CT represents a major advancement in cardiovascular diagnostics, offering significant clinical and ...
One of the biggest trends is the creation of hybrid operating rooms (ORs) that bring together the best of both surgical and interventional technologies. They are centered around a high-quality angiographic X-ray imaging system, allowing new collaborative treatment strategies and new types of procedures. Users say the shift to hybrid ORs is more than a change of venue for procedures, it is a paradigm shift in medicine.
September 20, 2011 — Maquet Cardiovascular announced it has received both 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its new Sensation Plus 50 cc 8 French intra-aortic balloon (IAB) catheter. The device also received CE mark approval from the British Standards Institution (BSI).
September 20, 2011 — A new study published in the Sept. 27 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reveals heart failure (HF) patients with Medicaid, Medicare or no insurance have longer hospital stays than those with private/HMO insurance. The under-insured are less likely to receive some of the recommended, evidence-based therapies for HF; they are also 22 percent more likely to die in-hospital.
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September 20, 2011 — Toshiba America Medical Systems Inc. will highlight its Aquilion One computed tomography (CT) system at the American Society of Emergency Radiology (ASER) conference, Sept. 14-17, 2011 in Miami. The company will specifically showcase the system’s application in an emergency department (ED) setting.
September 20, 2011 — Boston Scientific Corp. has launched its Coyote Balloon Catheter, a highly deliverable and ultra-low profile 0.014-inch balloon dilatation catheter designed to treat patients undergoing peripheral angioplasty procedures below the knee. The company has begun marketing the product in the United States, Europe and other international markets.
September 20, 2011 – A recent study sought to determine if monitoring fluid build-up in the chest of heart failure patients would lead to earlier detection of problems and prevent repeat hospitalizations. The results, released as part of the late-breaking trials at the 15th annual scientific meeting of the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA), actually showed an increase in hospital visits.
Providing exceptional cardiovascular care for patients to achieve the best possible outcomes is the number one goal for ...
September 20, 2011 — The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), with several key initial partners, launched Million Hearts, an initiative aiming to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes over the next five years.
September 19, 2011 — The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), with several key initial partners, launched Million Hearts, an initiative aiming to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes over the next five years.
September 15, 2011 – The Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) has announced the late breaking trials and first report investigations that will be presented at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) 2011 scientific symposium. Presented in partnership with the American College of Cardiology (ACC), TCT 2011 is the world’s leading educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine and will take place Nov. 7-11, 2011 in San Francisco.
Cardiac positron emission tomography (PET) is growing in popularity among cardiologists because it provides the ability ...
Interventional radiology (IR) software maker HI-IQ announced the launch of Peer Benchmarking reports for the IR community. HI-IQ subscribers can leverage the power of data collected by the HI-IQ user community across the United States through the national HI-IQ Peer Benchmarking Database.
September 16, 2011 – During RSNA 2011, McKesson will highlight Horizon Cardiology, which enables users to improve quality of care, boost efficiencies and reduce costs while increasing physician and staff satisfaction in the cardiovascular department. It is the only cardiovascular information system (CVIS) with a single database that includes support for all cardiovascular images, waveforms and information, including cardiac and peripheral catheterization, hemodynamics monitoring, echocardiography, vascular ultrasound, nuclear cardiology, and electrocardiogram (ECG) management. This unique architecture improves the accuracy and efficiency of the department by eliminating duplicate data entry and supporting parallel workflows.
September 16, 2011 — GE Healthcare and Veran Medical Technologies Inc. announced they have formed a strategic alliance to advance and co-develop navigation technologies for interventional procedures to improve care and management of cancer patients. Building on the alliance, the GE Healthymagination Fund, an equity fund that invests in promising healthcare technology companies, is investing in Veran. The financial terms were undisclosed.
September 21, 2011
