In an effort to demonstrate how 3-D printing can help better interpret medical imaging, Philips teamed up with 3-D printer manufacturer Ultimaker to create detailed replicas of Philips magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.  The replicas were displayed at the 2015 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) annual meeting in Toronto, May 30-June 5.

Many organizations may be rallying employees and resources in order to make the switch from the ICD-9 to the ICD-10 coding for medical diagnoses and inpatient hospital procedures before the Oct.1, 2015, implementation date. Richard Milam, office productivity expert and president and CEO of EnableSoft, suggests five practices that will enable healthcare providers to implement the ICD-10 by the due date and ensure an expedient, smooth transition. He indicates that these are imperative when it comes to the overall success of meeting the deadline:

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended a new treatment to help patients suffering from blood clots in the legs and lungs.

HeartWare International Inc. announced that enrollment in the ENDURANCE2 destination therapy clinical trial has been completed. ENDURANCE2 is the largest destination therapy clinical trial of a ventricular assist device conducted to date and is designed to evaluate patients implanted with the HeartWare Ventricular Assist Device (HVAD) for long-term use as destination therapy in the United States. Data from the ENDURANCE program are expected to form the basis for a pre-market approval (PMA) application seeking approval of the HeartWare System for destination therapy.