February 8, 2011 – Researchers at the University of Southern California have developed an algorithm to produce animated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of body parts or organs in motion. Volume scans of human bodies have a variety of uses in medical diagnosis and research; however, these scans usually do not show the body in movement.

February 7, 2011 – There is a tremendous unmet need for new medical technologies to treat potentially dangerous chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) and blood clots, according to a Scientia Advisors review of the vascular device market.

February 7, 2011 – Final testing for a point-of-care blood analyzer will begin at four hospitals in North America. The QL Care (QLCA) analyzer, by CardioGenics, tests for troponin-I levels, and data will be used to file a 510(k) application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

February 4, 2011 – More heart disease tests do not necessarily add up to a better diagnosis. According to a new practice guideline, a basic risk assessment that accounts for such factors as cholesterol level, blood pressure, age, sex, family history, smoking and diabetes is still the strongest tool a doctor can use in predicting the likelihood of heart disease.

February 4, 2011 – Researchers at the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Undiagnosed Diseases Program (UDP) have identified the genetic cause of a rare and debilitating vascular disorder not previously explained in the medical literature.

February 3, 2011 – Behrman Capital, a private equity investment firm based in New York and San Francisco, has acquired Atherotech, a cardiometabolic testing services provider. Atherotech offers the VAP (Vertical Auto Profile) advanced lipid profile test.

February 1, 2011 – Despite the benefits of therapy with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), inappropriate shocks from the devices are common and place patients at a greater mortality risk. These were the conclusions drawn by a Dutch research team that examined the incidence, predictors and patient outcomes of inappropriate ICD shocks in a large, real-world patient population.

February 1, 2011 – A self-anchoring aortic heart valve has received the CE mark. With the approval, the Perceval S Sutureless biological valve, by the Sorin Group, is now commercially available in Europe.