Medical Devices and Surgical Technology Week

Head Trauma - Nerve tissue protein S100 levels identify high-risk patients

Heart Attack - U.S. FDA issues clearance for RAMP Cardiac Marker Test

Heart Disease - Approval sought for human implantation of self-expanding stented heart valve

Heart Disorders - Collaboration to develop 3D image technology for electrophysiologists

Heart Failure - AbioCor implant patient removed from life support due to liver, kidney failure

Heart Failure - Implantable cardioverter defibrillator study results released

Hematological Cancer - Molecular WT1 assay useful for minimal residual disease monitoring

Hemodialysis - Convective-controlled double high flux hemodiafiltration shows promise

Hemodialysis - Tailored schedules may help retain residual renal function

Hepatitis - New preclinical results show prevention of liver injury by histamine

Hip Replacement - Cementless total hip arthroplasty feasible for elderly patients

Hip Replacement - Ultralok uncemented femoral prostheses effective for young patients

Hospital Error - Hospital fined for violations in heart transplant program

Imaging - Fischer Imaging to offer PACS and VIParchive technology

Imaging - Rotating camera puts fresh spin on coronary angiography

Imaging Technology - New mass spectrometry-based tissue imaging technology launched

Immune Suppressant - Everolimus safe and effective immunosuppressant in organ transplantation

Immunnology - Mouse bone marrow contains large numbers of functionally competent neutrophils

Immunology - Epitope-specific sorting method improves scFv characterization

Immunology - Grafted BM only variable associated with increased risk of CMV antigenemia

Immunology - Humanized agonistic anti-human 4-1BB mAb developed

Immunology - Interleukin concentrations vary in peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis

Immunology - Regulatory role of Blimp-1 clarified

Immunology - Simulect use results in significant reduction in transplant rejection

Immunology - Standardized whole-blood leukocyte function assay validated

Immunology - T cells and macrophages main BAFF-expressing cells in salivary glands from pSS

Immunology - Various immune modulatory molecules induced in CD34⁺ hematopoietic cells

Implantable Devices - Breakthrough attributes of biothermal battery highlighted

Infection Control - $1.5B annual cost of surgical site infections can be reduced

Inflammatory Bowel Disease - Data presented on two gastrointestinal disease treatments

Information Tech - Clinical data sharing solution available for healthcare providers

Information Technology - Interactive obesity management program introduced

Irritable Bowel Syndrome - IBSTracker launched to study changing IBS marketplace

Ischemic Heart Disease - Coronary perfusion flow is larger in diastolic than systolic arrest in rats

Ischemic Heart Disease - Perioperative beta blocker use is inconsistent in heart disease patients

Ischemic Heart Disease - Urban air pollution may increase the risk of dying in Norway

Kidney Transplantation - Electronic monitoring provides optimal measure of immunosuppression adherence

Knee Replacement - Variables affecting post-TKA range of motion identified

Legal Issues - Inhaled nitric oxide gas and gas delivery devices lawsuit settled

Leukemia - Study looks at marrow stem cells and chemotherapy

Liver Cancer - Proteomics can be useful in researching hepatic diseases

Liver Cancer - Regional chemotherapy for liver tumors appears promising

Liver Cancer - Study reviews modern hepatic imaging

Liver Failure - New scintigraphy test could aid preoperative assessment of liver function

Liver Resection - Laparoscopic liver resection is safe and feasible

Liver Resection - Segmental approach to liver resection reduces intraoperative blood loss

Liver Transplantation - Numerical simulation model of hypothermic machine perfusion effective

Liver Transplants - Positive results reported in comparative Prograf trial

Liver Tumors - Benign liver tumors are found more frequently with abdominal imaging

Liver Tumors - Portal vein embolization can increase the safety of hepatic resection

Market Analysis - Attracting top clinical investigators requires careful planning

Market Analysis - Cardiovascular drugs represent $12.5B exposed to generics

Mass Spectrometry - New protein ID system helps researchers pinpoint more proteins

Medical - Mentor licenses patent covering method for treating urinary incontinence

Medical Devices - Electron holography facilitates study of MTJ microstructure

Melanoma Diagnosis - Proteomic evaluation yields possible uveal melanoma markers

Mergers and Acquisitions - Acquisition offer announced for Profile Therapeutics

Mergers and Acquisitions - Fisher announces expiration of waiting period under Hart-Scott-Rodino

Mergers and Acquisitions - Intermagnetics to acquire maker of RF coils

Mergers and Acquisitions - MediCor announces acquisition of breast implant company

Mergers and Acquisitions - Medical device firm acquired for $2 billion

Mergers and Acquisitions - Medical device supplier acquires medical manufacturing firm

Mergers and Acquisitions - Technology development company acquires Impedance Cardiography technology

Modeling - 3D models being used to determine gene development in heart

Neuroscience - Fluorescent labelling method facilitates 3-D imaging of cochlear tissues

Neuroscience - Microdialysis useful for monitoring cannabinoid influence on cAMP levels

Neuroscience - Novel microelectrode array can isolate individual neurons

Neuroscience - Portable system enables field recordings of primate single neuron activity

Neuroscience - Tissue transglutaminase likely plays important role in neuronal function

Nuclear Medicine - Lobectomy followed by radioiodine manages differential thyroid cancer

Obstetrics - Radioimmunoassay developed to measure 3,3'-T2S in maternal serum

Ophthalmology - Wearable low-vision device gives the sight-impaired a cyber helping hand

Organ Transplants - Registry data demonstrate superior long-term organ transplant outcomes

Orthopedic Surgery - Anterolateral mini-incision total hip replacement reviewed

Orthopedic Surgery - Posterior cruciate-retaining and posterior stabilized TKA compared

Orthopedic Surgery - Posterolateral minimal incision effective for total hip replacement

Orthopedics - Cementless femoral stem bone support compared with novel method

Orthopedics - Synthetic ligament prosthetic effective for recurrent THA dislocation

Orthopedics - Two acetabular cement pressurizers compared

Osteoporosis - New product launched for balloon kyphoplasty

Osteoporosis - Ospemifene effective in reducing bone turnover in postmenopausal women

Otorhinolaryngology - Novel technique improves outcome of laryngeal microsurgery

Ovarian Cancer - Inexperienced surgeons operate on most ovarian cancer patients in Maryland

Ovarian Tumors - Ovarian cystadenofibromas can have malignant features on CT and MRI

Ovarian Tumors - The accuracy of frozen section in diagnosis of ovarian masses is generally good

Pain Medicine - Cold compresses effective for pain relief after total hip replacement

Paralysis - 19-year-old undergoes rare procedure to reverse paralysis

Patents - Broad U.S. patent issued for computational drug design technology

Patents - Patent granted for germicidal device to prevent nosocomial infections

Patents - U.S. issued patent covers emollient-foam technology

Personnel - Allen Andersen named to board of supplement/personal care company

Personnel - CEO Ronald W. Dollens to retire after 32 years at Lilly, spin-off

Personnel - Cardiac diagnostics company announces election of new director

Personnel - Device company reports resignation of chief financial officer

Personnel - Device firm names Ronald L. Greene as VP, sales and marketing

Personnel - Diagnostic imaging services provider announces new chief executive officer

Personnel - Drug discovery supplier hires Charles Powell as VP of sales, marketing

Personnel - E-learning company names Hugh Rienhoff and Thanos Triant to board

Personnel - Gerard E. Puorro and Brian F. Sullivan join board of SonoPrepmaker

Personnel - Japanese life sciences firm names new CEO

Personnel - Jasjit Suri, PhD, becomes director of applied R&D for imaging company

Personnel - Litx company names John Marshall to scientific advisory board

Personnel - Mark Little elected to board; John Tarello retiring

Personnel - Michael Tognotti named director of sales at microarray company

Personnel - New chief executive officer to lead company in spinal implant product launches

Personnel - New president named at diagnostics firm, divestiture announced

Personnel - Patrick Balthrop named CEO of xMap company

Prenatal Testing - Novel technique brings prenatal testing from maternal blood closer to reality

Prognostics - p53 over-expression correlates with local treatment failure in oral carcinoma

Prostate Cancer - Antioxidant system activation is important for prostate cancer patients

Prostate Cancer - Chromosome 16q analysis reveals tumor suppressor gene candidates

Prostate Cancer - Hormonal therapy and radiotherapy improve survival for prostate cancer patients

Prostate Cancer - Quality of life declines in the year before death in men with prostate cancer

Prostate Cancer - Sexual disorders after radical prostatectomy involve the couple

Prostate Cancer - Study finds no connection between prostate cancer and atrazine exposure

Proteomics - CREB binds to multiple loci on chromosome 22

Proteomics - Clinical proteomics is revolutionizing disease detection

Proteomics - Protein secondary structure analyzed by vacuum-UV circular dichroism

Pulmonary - CE Mark approval granted new delivery system for surgical adhesive

Radiology - Dangers of MRI in patients with neurostimulators reviewed

Radiotherapy - Exclusive distribution agreement signed for OneDose surface dosimeter

Renal Disease - Phase I/II trial of E2F Decoy begins for prevention of AV graft failure

Restenosis - Implanted stents with c-myc suppressant engender arterial healing

Saphenous Vein Grafts - Rubicon Filter study in Europe yields positive 30-day follow-up results

Skin Cancer - Retinoid-modulated proteins identified in squamous carcinoma cells

Spine Surgery - Analysis shows non-fusion spine procedure revenues to total $27M in 2005

Staffing - Diagnostics company enters strategic agreement with Physicians On-Call

Stem Cell Research - Cxcr4 receptor may exert trophic influences on precursor cell proliferation

Stem Cell Research - Evidence found for fusion between cardiac and skeletal muscle cells

Stem Cell Research - Self-renewal capacity is a widespread property of neural crest precursor cells

Stem Cell Transplantation - Low-dose alemtuzumab reduces GVHD following myeloablative ASCT

Surgery - NIM-Spine System released; designed to reduce spinal-surgery risk

Surgical Technology - Anterior cervical plate system effective for cervical stabilization

Surgical Technology - NICE guidance has limited effect on procedure performances

Surgical Technology - Painless suction drain removal technique developed

Thyroid Tumors - Cyclin D1 overexpression is significant in thyroid tumors

Tissue Engineering - Crosslinking determines degradation rate and regeneration of acellular tissue

Tissue Engineering - Denatured collagen used as support for FGF-2 delivery system

Transfection - Expression system secretes TAT fusion proteins

Transfusion Medicine - Method developed to measure red blood cell survival following transfusion

Transgenics - Cx36-EGFP associated with AMPA-type glutamate receptor subunit GluR1

Transplantation Medicine - Recovery after HCT for leukemia or lymphoma can take 3-5 years

Ultrasound - Company launches new line of ultrasound probes for the replacement market

Uterine Fibroid Tumors - Effective radiation dose calculated for uterine artery embolization

Wound Care - Innovative "self healing" bandage to help diabetics

Wound Care - V.A.C. GranuFoam Heel Dressing earns APMA seal of approval