November 17, 2009 – A new genetic test to detect familial dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), the FAMILION DCM Test, was introduced this week at the 2009 American Heart Association (AHA) meeting in Orlando, Fla.

November 17, 2009 – Following three reports of stretching and fractures during procedures, the ViperSheath Sheath Introducer was voluntarily recalled on November 2 by Cardiovascular Systems Inc. (CSI).


Intra-aortic balloon pumps (IABPs), introduced in the 1970s, have been considered the standard of care for short-term circulatory support for more than two decades. However, there has been a growing trend over the past few years toward percutaneous ventricular assist devices (VADs), which some cardiologists say have some big advantages over IABPs.

In recent years, the U.S. cardiac device market has focused on dynamics in the drug-eluting stent (DES) segment – including events ranging from the 2006 BASKET-LATE trial that caused a tremendous decline in DES usage to the 2008 launch of three new DES brands in the U.S. Focus in 2010 will shift somewhat, with a relatively steady DES market leaving room for other areas to heat up.

The use of advanced visualization software has become a necessity due to the vast image data sets produced by cardiac computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MR). The technology is known for making pretty, color 3D pictures, but users say the technology goes a long way to help increase efficiency, speed diagnoses, and can guide procedures in the OR and cath lab.

Standard drug-eluting stent technology seemed to have taken a backseat at this year’s TCT as cardiologists look forward to the next-generation DES using bioresorbable polymer coatings and totally bioresorbable stents.

November 17, 2009 – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today warned new safety information shows an interaction between the anti-clotting medication clopidogrel (Plavix) and the proton pump inhibitor (PPI) omeprazole (Prilosec/Prilosec OTC), used to reduce stomach acid. 

November 17, 2009 – Following positive three-year data from the first 30 patients treated with a fully bioabsorbable drug-eluting coronary stent, Abbott is initiating a large-scale trial with about 1,000 patients from up to 100 centers in Europe, Asia Pacific, Canada and Latin America.

November 13, 2009 – Popular Science magazine’s “Innovation of the Year” named the 3M Littmann Electronic Stethoscope Model 3200 with Zargis Cardioscan software as part of the publication’s annual “Best of What’s New Awards.”

November 13, 2009 – A 48-patient IDE clinical trial conducted at seven sites in the U.S. and one site in India using the Harvest Technologies’ Bone Marrow Aspiration Concentrate (BMAC) System to treat patients with nonreconstructable critical limb ischemia (CLI) has completed enrollment.

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