Fractional flow reserve (FFR) is a measurement of the blood pressure before and after a narrowing of an artery. The larger the difference in the pressure across the stenosis, the more need there is to perform an interventional procedure to open up the artery. Normally, FFR is measured using a special intravascular catheter and this […]
Tag: Cardiology
More Patients Can Now Be Treated With New SAPIEN 3 Ultra Transcatheter Aortic Valve
Edwards Lifesciences received FDA approval to introduce its SAPIEN 3 Ultra transcatheter aortic heart valve in the U.S. Specifically, the device is indicated for cases of severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis identified to be at intermediate or greater risk of open-heart surgery. The SAPIEN 3 Ultra has some modifications that make it appropriate to a wider range of […]
Teva’s ProAir Digihaler FDA Approved to Monitor Asthma and COPD Treatment
Teva Pharmaceutical, based in Israel, landed the first FDA approval for a digital inhaler with built-in sensors. The ProAir Digihaler (albuterol sulfate 117 mcg) Inhalation Powder is indicated for people suffering from asthma & COPD as a way of preventing and treating bronchospasm, a tightening of the muscles that line the airways. The ProAir Digihaler monitors how it’s […]
World’s First Blood Pressure Smart Watch from Omron
Omron, a ubiquitous name when it comes to blood pressure measurement, is about to release the first smartwatch that can measure blood pressure directly from the wrist. The Omron HeartGuide sports a band that doubles as a blood pressure cuff, inflating when requested through the touchscreen of the watch. The watch can be programmed to […]
VASCADE MVP Venous Vascular Closure System for EP Procedures Approved in U.S.
Cardiva Medical won FDA approval for its VASCADE MVP Venous Vascular Closure System, a device used for multi-site venous closure post cardiac ablation, left atrial appendage closure, and other electrophysiology procedures. It’s available in sheaths from 6 to 12 French inner diameter The device is used to deliver a collagen patch onto the exterior of […]
Argos Cardiac Output Monitor Now Available in U.S.
Retia Medical, out of Valhalla, New York, won FDA clearance and is making available in the U.S. its Argos Cardiac Output Monitor. For use in the OR and ICU, the product uses the company’s MBA algorithm to track both fluid and pressor resuscitation with high precision. This gives clinicians the ability to monitor oxygen delivery and […]
VitalPatch Biosensor and VistaTablet Monitor: A Medgadget Review
In the summer of 2018, VitalConnect launched the VistaTablet as an extension to their FDA-approved biosensor, the VitalPatch, which measures eight vital parameters. We have previously covered the VitalPatch and the launch of the VistaTablet, but we recently had the chance to check them out first-hand. The following is a review of this editor’s experience and impressions. […]
Vanguard IEP Peripheral Balloon Angioplasty System with Emboli Filter Cleared in U.S.
Contego Medical, based in Raleigh, North Carolina, landed FDA clearance for its Vanguard IEP peripheral balloon angioplasty system. The product features the Congego’s proprietary Integrated Embolic Protection (IEP) technology that captures embolic debris breaking off from occlusions being treated within the superficial femoral artery. It was cleared last year in Europe under the CE Mark. The IEP component […]
Canon’s New Alphenix 4D CT and C-Arm System for Interventional Procedures
Canon Medical is releasing a new high end CT scanning and fluoroscopy configuration for use in the interventional suite. The system combines the company’s Alphenix Sky + C-arm, Hybrid Catheterization Tilt/Cradle Table, and the Aquilion ONE / GENESIS Edition CT scanner. The combined system, known as Alphenix 4D CT provides a complete package for planning therapies, executing them, […]
Edwards SAPIEN 3 Ultra Transcatheter Valve for Severe Aortic Stenosis Cleared in Europe
Edwards Lifesciences received European CE Mark approval for its SAPIEN 3 Ultra transcatheter aortic heart valve. Indicated for valve replacement in patients with severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis, the device is available in three sizes (20 mm, 23 mm, and 26 mm) to fit most anatomies. It sports modifications to the valve itself, as well as an […]
Artificial Intelligence Diagnoses Heart Murmurs Better Than Expert Cardiologists
At the just concluded American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2018 in Chicago, Eko, the makers of popular digital stethoscopes, showed off a neural network AI algorithm that is able to detect murmurs better than a group of cardiologists. The study, titled “Artificial Intelligence Detects Pediatric Heart Murmurs With Cardiologist-Level Accuracy,” involved teaching a computer to spot […]
REVA’s Fantom Encore Thin Strut Bioresorbable Scaffold Unveiled
REVA Medical, out of San Diego, California, has released its Fantom Encore bioresorbable scaffold. The implant is made with the company’s own Tyrocore polymer that is absorbed by the body over a period of some months, eventually disappearing while native tissue takes over. The process helps to make sure that the lumen stays open while cells grow […]
Medtronic’s Valiant Navion Thoracic Stent Graft Cleared in EU
Medtronic won European CE Mark approval to introduce its Valiant Navion thoracic stent graft for treating lesions within the descending thoracic aorta such as thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA), blunt traumatic aortic injuries (BTAI), and penetrating atherosclerotic ulcers (PAU). The system received FDA approval in October of this year. The Valiant Navion is particularly beneficial for patients […]
PerQseal Absorbable, Sutureless Large-Bore Closure Device Coming to Europe
Vivasure Medical, a Galway, Ireland company, is launching in Europe its PerQseal closure device for use in large vessel femoral arteriotomies following large-bore transcatheter procedures, such as aortic valve replacements. Though minimally invasive transcatheter procedures have revolutionized cardiovascular care, closing the access sites created for them can be challenging. The PerQseal device is sutureless and, once placed, […]
Tiny New Pacemaker Small Enough for Infants
Researchers at Children’s National Health System, working with engineers from Medtronic, have created a pacemaker appropriately tiny enough to implant into infants. Measuring only one cubic centimeter, about the size of a large pill, it allows the device to be implanted inside the child in a minimally invasive fashion. Currently, because of their size, pacemakers implanted […]
Cios Spin Mobile 3D C-Arm for Orthopedic Surgery
Siemens Healthineers has unveiled a new mobile C-arm, the Cios Spin, that can provide both 2D and 3D imaging in just about any operating room. Mostly intended for orthopedic procedures, the device allows clinicians that are currently using 2D C-arms to upgrade to 3D capability and see things in a much more intuitive perspective. Positioning […]
Barco’s New 27″ 4K Surgical Monitor
Barco is releasing a new 4K surgical monitor that’s designed to give clinicians a high fidelity live image during interventional procedures. The Barco MDSC-8427 has a 27” screen, providing a new, larger size over common 24″ and 26″ monitors. The display features the company’s smart image processing technology optimized to improve how live video comes through. A […]
Smallest Ever Steerable Cardiac Ablation Catheter
Researchers at ETH Zurich and École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland have developed the thinnest ever steerable cardiac ablation catheter. The device has a magnetic tip, which can be navigated using an external magnetic field with incredible accuracy via a computer. Existing guiding catheters are typically steered by a pull wire within the lumen, but […]
Optically Pumped Magnetometer to Measure Electric Activity of Fetal Hearts
Assessing the electrical activity of a fetal heart is extremely difficult, since ECG is not an option. Ultrasound is not a substitute for electrical conduction study like ECG, so there’s always a search for a better alternative. Researchers at the University of Copenhagen believe that a new technology they’re working will give clinicians an unprecedented […]
Eko and Mayo Clinic Working on Automated Cardiac Screening Tool
Eko, the company that makes smart electronic stethoscopes that we’re very fond of and which is sponsoring our popular Medgadget 2018 Sci-Fi Writing Contest, has now partnered with the Mayo Clinic to develop automated tools to screen patients for heart conditions. Initially, they’re focusing the attention on spotting low ejection fraction, an indication of a weak […]