• Smith & Nephew (London) reported the launch of its Q-FIX All-Suture Anchor. Designed for procedures like rotator cuff repair and labrum repair in which anatomic space is very limited, the new anchor delivers performance characteristics that meet or exceed those of much larger, hard anchors. Unlike the performance of other all-suture anchors which can vary based on factors such as poor knot deployment or a surgeon's ability to fully tension the suture by hand, the Q-FIX implant uses a unique, radially expanding implant that fully deploys at the same depth within the bone every time. The Q-FIX anchor also uses an exclusive deployment dial located on the inserter's handle to automatically tighten the suture to a target of 140 Newtons – three times more than is possible using hand tensioning. Insufficient tensioning can result in micromotion caused by the suture's natural elasticity, which may reduce anchor performance. Indicated for use in the shoulder and hip, the Q-FIX anchor is available in both 1.8 mm (single loaded) and 2.8 mm (double loaded) sizes with associated disposable and reusable instruments.

• TeleHealth Services (Raleigh, North Carolina) reported its partnership with Samsung Electronics America (Ridgefield Park, New Jersey), the completion of a new patient engagement solution called SmarTigr. To help hospitals and health systems improve both the patient experience and patient-provider communication, the SmarTigr uses the Smart TV functionality of the Samsung healthcare televisions combined with the clinical features of TeleHealth's iTigr patient engagement solution. The SmarTigr patient engagement solution dramatically lowers the cost of hospital patient interactive systems while expanding both clinical and non-clinical applications available including electronic whiteboards, patient portal registration, internet access, and additional patient education and entertainment options. Innovative advances in interoperable TV and Tigr patient engagement systems make it not only possible, but very practical for hospitals.

• TVA Medical (Austin, Texas) reported promising results from a clinical study evaluating a novelhemodialysis access technique that has the potential to revolutionize vascular access for patients with chronic kidney disease without the use of traditional open surgery. The clinical results of TVA Medical's everlinQT system were published online this week in the April 2015 issue of Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology. The FLEX study evaluated the safety and efficacy of TVA Medical's everlinQ system to create an arteriovenous fistula (AVF) in a percutaneous procedure for patients with chronic kidney disease. The everlinQ System is an investigational device that creates an AVF using a minimally-invasive approach. In the procedure, two thin, flexible magnetic catheters are inserted into an artery and vein in the arm. A small burst of radiofrequency energy is used to connect the artery and vein to create the fistula, and the catheters are removed. The everlinQ System has the potential to enable patients to use their AVF for hemodialysis within two months.