Investigators reported results of SORT-OUT IV, comparing Cordis Corporation’s CYPHER(R) Sirolimus-eluting Coronary Stent and Abbott’s XIENCE V ® Everolimus-eluting Stent in the primary endpoint of MACE (major acute coronary events) at nine months. These findings were presented at the TCT 2010 in Washington DC. This study adds to the unmatched body of safety and efficacy data on the CYPHER® Stent with this comparison to the more recently approved XIENCE V® Stent in a contemporary setting.

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Covidien announced that the Puritan Bennett™ 560 ventilator is now available in Europe. The Puritan Bennett 560 ventilator is compact and portable, weighing just 4.5 kg. This lightweight device provides mobile respiratory support, enabling ventilated adult and pediatric patients to pursue regular activities with peace of mind. The Puritan Bennett 560 ventilator is designed for patient comfort, safety and maneuverability.

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Ascension Orthopedics, Inc. announces FDA approval to market the TITAN™ Modular Total Shoulder System. This system redefines modularity by providing multiple surgical solutions for shoulder arthroplasty with one implant system. The TITAN Modular Total Shoulder System offers a bone-preserving option for patients needing total or hemi shoulder arthroplasty. The modularity of the system allows the surgeon to independently select distal stems and proximal bodies that best match the patient’s anatomy and bone quality.

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Solta Medical, Inc. has announced it has received FDA 510(k) clearance of its Fraxel re:store®Dual for the treatment of actinic keratosis (AKs). The Fraxel re:store Dual system takes the industry leading fractional laser technology to the next level by adding a novel 1927 nm wavelength, the first ever application of a Thulium laser in the aesthetics market. The Fraxel re:store Dual treatment provides superior results for the removal of AKs.

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RSB Spine, LLC, announced that the InterPlate® L-Ti has been cleared for an additional product code (KWQ). The L-Ti was previously cleared as an interbody fusion device. RSB Spine Officers are excited about this new clearance. Because of the company’s Bridging Flush Fit™ design, they have always been of the opinion that the InterPlate L-Ti can function as an interbody fusion device and/or anterior lumbar plate. The new product code also simplifies coding for surgeons.

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SurgiCount Medical has announced that it has signed a contract with Kalispell Regional Medical Center to implement the SurgiCount Safety-Sponge® System, a proven solution to prevent one of the most common surgical errors, retained surgical sponges. The first hospital in the State of Montana to adopt the SurgiCount solution, Kalispell Regional Medical Center joins a prestigious list of over 50 user hospitals including 5 of U.S. News and World Report’s 2010-2011 Honor Roll Hospitals.

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Medtronic, Inc. announced CE Mark approval and the first global use and launch of the Medtronic CoreValve® delivery system with AccuTrak™ Stability Layer for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). AccuTrak’s proprietary technology allows physicians to achieve enhanced control and accuracy in the deployment of the CoreValv device. CoreValve and AccuTrak are not yet available in the United States, Canada or Japan for investigational or commercial sale or use.

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ConvaTec has announced the introduction of a new, narrower size of AQUACEL® and AQUACEL® Ag Ribbon Dressings with Strengthening Fibers, now available in the U.S. and select European countries for the management of moderate to highly exuding chronic and acute wounds. The new dressing, half the width of the currently available dressing, is designed specifically for use in excised abscesses and smaller wounds that tunnel below the wound surface.

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Applied Precision, along with Indiana University, are excited to announce the installation of a new DeltaVisionOMX imaging system in the Light Microscopy Imaging Center in Bloomington, Indiana. The DeltaVision|OMX is a ground-breaking, three dimensional, super-resolution microscopy system that more than doubles the optical resolution of traditional light microscopy. This super-resolution capability is especially important to cell biologists and microbiologists seeking to study objects and events that lie beyond the limits of conventional microscopy methods.

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At the congress of the European Societey of Cardiology (ESC) 2010, Siemens will present new image processing software that helps cardiologists and cardiac surgeons perform transcatheter aortic valve implantations (TAVI): Syngo Aortic ValveGuide automatically reconstructs a 3D representation of the aortic root from CT-like cross-sectional images acquired with the angiography system. The software selects anatomical landmarks as the coronary ostia, for instance, and overlays the 3D image with two-dimensional images acquired during live fluoroscopy.

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