For every three individuals who have had a stent implanted to keep clogged arteries open and prevent a heart attack, at least one will experience restenosis—the renewed narrowing of the artery due to plaque buildup or scarring—which can lead to additional complications. Now, a team led by UBC electrical and computer engineering professor Kenichi Takahata has developed a type of “smart stent” that monitors even subtle changes in the flow of blood through the artery, detecting the narrowing in its earliest stages and making early diagnosis and treatment possible. “We modified a stent to function as a miniature...

W.L. Gore & Associates has received FDA approval to expand the indication of the Gore Cardioform Septal Occluder to reduce the risk of recurrent ischemic stroke in patients. The device treats patients through the closure of patent foramen ovale (PFO). Cardioform’s previous indication was for the closure of atrial septal defects that are up to 17mm in size. Gore’s Structural Heart Leader, Jake Goble said Cardioform has the potential to redefine stroke prevention. Goble began working for Gore in 2007. It was around that time the company began to explore the possibility of...

Surmodics, Inc., a leading provider of medical device and in vitro diagnostic technologies to the healthcare industry, announced it received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance for its .018” Low-Profile percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) balloon dilation catheter, designed and indicated for a broad range of peripheral vascular applications. The product is the result of the company’s ongoing investment in a pipeline of highly differentiated whole-product solutions. Surmodics expects to make the product available for distribution in the coming months. This new low-profile product combines ...

InfuSystem Holdings, a leading national provider of infusion pumps and related services for the healthcare industry in the United States and Canada, announced the launch of InfuSystem Mobile, its innovative infusion patient safety app for smartphones and tablets. InfuSystem Mobile will seamlessly connect patients with InfuSystem’s world-class suite of safety products, infusion expertise, and team of registered nurses who are available 24/7. As part of the launch, InfuSystem Mobile was...

Abbott announced it received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for XIENCE SierraTM, the newest generation of the company’s gold-standard XIENCE everolimus-eluting coronary stent system. XIENCE stents are among the world’s most-used and studied stents and have an exceptional safety record with low rates of complications. Design and technology advances in this generation of XIENCE include features specifically designed for the treatment of complex blockages that now account for up to...