The Technology Partnership (TTP), a U.K.-based research and product development company, has made major advances in the use of elastography, a medical imaging technique that maps elastic properties of soft tissue to provide vital diagnostic information during surgery. The new breakthrough could be used for surgical processes such as treating abnormal heart rhythms caused by atrial fibrillation, killing or removing cancerous or damaged tissue, or simply navigating around the body during an operation.

Mayo Clinic is announcing results of a study on the effectiveness of left-ventricular assist devices (LVAD) in treating patients with a form of cardiomyopathy called restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM). The Mayo Clinic study, which is the largest study of its kind to date, demonstrates that LVAD devices are a viable and accessible option for treating patients with RCM, who would otherwise see their health deteriorate or who may not survive. The study suggests criteria that clinicians can use for successful implementation of these devices in RCM.