WhiteSwell, a medtech company based in Galway, Ireland, has developed a catheter system to treat acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). ADHF is often treated using diuretics to remove excess fluid, but this doesn’t work for every patient and can have side-effects. This latest technology consists of a catheter with an impeller pump that is (Read more...)
Tag: Cardiac Surgery
Endoscopic Surgery Using Steerable Lasers
Applying an energy source, such as a laser, to cut through or cauterize tissue is already widely used in external surgeries, such as laser eye surgery, but using this technology safely and accurately during minimally invasive internal procedures is difficult. Current endoscopic technology does not permit lasers to be steered and manipulated with su (Read more...)
HARPOON System for Mitral Valve Repair: Interview with Daveen Chopra, Edwards Lifesciences
Degenerative mitral regurgitation occurs when the mitral valve prolapses, causing blood to leak back into the atrium every time the heart beats. The condition can be asymptomatic for many people, but for some it can cause a variety of issues, including fainting, pain, and shortness of breath. Currently, open-heart surgery is considered to be the [& (Read more...)
Cios Flow Mobile C-Arm from Siemens FDA Cleared
Siemens Healthineers just announced FDA clearance to introduce its Cios Flow mobile C-arm in the United States. Developed for use in orthopedics, vascular surgery, trauma, spinal surgery, and other fields, it’s intended to be a general purpose C-arm that can be easily used in a variety of cases. The Cios Flow is a relatively compact [… (Read more...)
Dexter Surgical Robot Works with All Laparoscopy Tools
Robotic laparoscopic surgery is now widely available, with Intuitive Surgical’s da Vinci systems being the most common robots out there. These systems typically require specialty tools provided by the robot manufacturer, and the selection is quite limited compared with the wide array of conventional laparoscopic tools that exist. Now, Distalm (Read more...)
CoolSeal for Quick and Safe Vessel Sealing Unveiled
Bolder Surgical, a Louisville, Colorado firm previously called JustRight Surgical, is starting the new year by releasing the CoolSeal vessel sealing platform. The initial product offerings are the CoolSeal Trinity device, a 5mm laparoscopic sealer, and the 3mm CoolSeal Mini, both of which work with the CoolSeal generator. The CoolSeal Trinity (pict (Read more...)
Mitochondrial Transplantation to Treat Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury: Interview with Dr. Alexander Schueller, CEO of cellvie
cellvie, a company based in Houston, Texas, is developing a mitochondrial transplantation therapy to help reduce the damage caused by ischemia-reperfusion injury. The treatment involves delivering isolated mitochondria to cells that are affected by ischemia to help mitigate the dysfunctional metabolism that contributes to cell death in that context (Read more...)
First Dedicated Pediatric and Neonatal Acute Dialysis Machine Released U.S.
Medtronic is releasing in the United States the industry’s first and only dedicated pediatric and neonatal acute dialysis machine. The Carpediem (Cardio-Renal Pediatric Dialysis Emergency Machine) has been in development for about a decade and the first in-human use was announced back in 2014. Having now received FDA marketing authorization, (Read more...)
MissionGO and MediGO Complete Successful Organ Deliveries in Unmanned Flights
MissionGO, a provider of unmanned aviation solutions, and Nevada Donor Network, an organ procurement organization (OPO) serving the state of Nevada, have recently completed two successful test flights in Las Vegas carrying a human organ and human tissue via an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). MediGO provided the technological services needed for col (Read more...)
Highly Realistic 3D Printed Human Hearts
Physical models of organs and tissues have many uses in clinical medicine, particularly when preparing for challenging surgeries. Naturally, the heart is commonly modeled using 3D printing to most closely mimic the nuances of unique patient anatomies. This is useful when preparing for procedures such as mitral valve repairs, but typically this is a (Read more...)
Flexible Patch Monitors and Treats the Beating Heart
Researchers at the University of Houston and colleagues have developed a flexible epicardial patch which can monitor heart function and even administer treatments, such as thermal ablation and heart pacing. The device can harvest power directly from the movement of the beating heart and its flexibility means that it conforms well with the epicardia (Read more...)
Robotic Catheterization for Mitral Valve Repair: Interview with Mark Barrish, CEO of Moray Medical
At present, mitral heart valve failure is treated through invasive surgery or via a transcatheter procedure called Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair (TEER). However, this procedure is difficult to perform, potentially resulting in suboptimal outcomes in challenging cases and if done by inexperienced clinicians. To address this, Moray Medical, a com (Read more...)
High Resolution Ultrasound for Precise Tumor Ablation
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute and the University of Stuttgart in Germany have developed a method to create high-resolution ultrasound fields, a capability which may improve the effectiveness of ultrasound therapies and tailor them for individual patients. The technique involves passing ultrasonic waves through water, where hydrogen bubble (Read more...)
Octopus-Inspired Sucker for Tranplanting Cell Sheets
Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a ‘sucker’ to pick up and transfer thin cell or tissue sheets that are intended for therapeutic purposes, such as wound healing or tissue grafting. Inspired by octopus suckers, the device can gently manipulate the delicate sheets without causing damage, and uses heating and a temp (Read more...)
Electronic Blood Vessels to Replace Diseased Vasculature
Researchers based in China and Switzerland have jointly developed electrically conductive artificial blood vessels that may serve as implants to replace diseased native vessels. The flexible and biodegradable constructs consist of a metal-polymer conductive membrane, and an electric current can be passed through the vessel when it is implanted in t (Read more...)
Soft Electronics for Advanced Heart Catheters
Researchers at George Washington University and Northwestern University have developed a new class of soft devices that can provide new functionality for catheters used in cardiac procedures. The new materials are soft electronics, including stretchable sensors and actuators, that when applied to the surface of a catheter system, could greatly assi (Read more...)
Exact Models of Aortic Heart Valves Help Prepare for Minimally Invasive Procedures
Complex transcatheter cardiac procedures, such as valve replacements, are often difficult to prepare for. Small anatomical differences can make big impacts on outcomes. Clinicians and researchers have been using models, both virtual and 3D printed, to improve procedural outcomes, design new devices, and to invent new therapeutic techniques. These m (Read more...)
Alginate Biomaterial Evades Immune System to Enhance Stem Cell Therapy
Researchers at Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine have developed an immuno-evasive alginate biomaterial hydrogel that can enhance stem cell therapy after myocardial infarction. Stem cells delivered to the heart within the biomaterial survive in greater numbers and for a longer period than cells delivered alone, resulting in a significan (Read more...)
Simplifying Transseptal Access to the Left Atrium: Interview with Terri Burke, CEO of Protaryx Medical
Protaryx Medical, a company based in Baltimore, Maryland, has developed a device to allow for more precise transseptal access to the left atrium during transcatheter procedures. The device provides three-dimensional control and steerability to take the guesswork out of transseptal access to the left atrium, and the company believes that this could (Read more...)
EVA15 Surgical Insufflator and Smoke Evacuator for Minimally Invasive Procedures FDA Cleared
Palliare, a company out of Galway, Ireland, won FDA clearance for its flagship product, the EVA15 insufflator and smoke evacuation system. The EVA15 combines two devices into a compact package that is designed for use in laparoscopic, endoscopic, endolumenal, and robotic procedures. Smoke is a common problem in all kinds of minimally invasive proce (Read more...)