• 3M (St. Paul, Minnesota) has released the 3M Rapid Detection RSV Test. RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is a respiratory virus that infects the lungs and breathing passages and is a common cause of bronchitis and pneumonia in children under one year. The Rapid Detection RSV Test is designed to detect the presence of RSV F-protein antigens in nasopharyngeal swab, nasopharyngeal aspirate, or nasal wash/aspirate specimens. The test can detect the presence of RSV in 15 minutes or less using the 3M Rapid Detection Reader. The Rapid Detection Reader is fully automated, which can help prevent misinterpretation of results.

• Ascent Healthcare Solutions (Phoenix, Arizona) received FDA clearance to reprocess the Biosense Webster SoundStar 3-D Diagnostic Ultrasound Catheter. Ascent said this clearance represents an immediate savings opportunity of up to 51% of the cost of the original device, providing hospitals with a solution for more effectively managing device costs associated with their technology investment. In reprocessing the SoundStar catheter, Ascent also brings its signature, value-add environmental benefit by recycling those devices that cannot be reprocessed. The SoundStar 3-D Ultrasound Catheter is a 90 cm 10F Intra Cardiac Echo (ICE) Catheter with an acoustic array. The catheter has a location sensor (providing location information to the CARTO EP XP Navigation System) and an ultrasound transducer (acquiring real time ultrasound images) embedded in the tip.

• Diagnostic Hybrids (Athens, Ohio) reported FDA clearance of its D³ FastPoint L-DFA Influenza A/Influenza B Virus Identification Kit, which allows for the identification of influenza A virus and influenza B virus from a patient's specimen in under 30 minutes. The D³ FastPoint L-DFA Influenza A/ Influenza B Virus ID Kit represents the second product in the company's D³ FastPoint L-DFA product line. The kit uses the fluorescent labeling technologies of the company's D³ Ultra and D³ Duet product lines in combination with newly developed L-DFA processing technology to create a unique rapid testing format. The L-DFA technology also allows for the simultaneous identification of two respiratory viruses in a single slide well.

• Lutronic (Princeton, New Jersey) said it is expanding its body contouring arsenal with the introduction of AccuSculpt, a pulsed laser to feature the revolutionary 1444 nm wavelength for a new level of safety, speed and efficiency in fat deposit emulsification and body contouring. Lutronice says the AccuSculpt is scientifically proven to be the most accurate, effective and precise wavelength for face and body contouring, the technology's properties make it eight times more effective at emulsifying fat than other lasers on the market. This provides aesthetic physicians with an incredible tool that produces safe, effective and permanent results previously unavailable.

• Clinical trial results published the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) describe six-month outcomes for patients using the Melody Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve from Medtronic (Minneapolis). The valve is implanted through a catheter procedure instead of open-heart surgery in patients with congenital heart disease affecting the function of their pulmonary valve. The JACC article reports procedural success in 97% of patients; encouraging immediate and six-month patient outcomes with improvements in heart and valve function; and overall acceptable study safety outcomes with no deaths or long-term procedure-related medical complications.

• A new study of hundreds of women diagnosed with breast cancer found that Positron Emission Mammography (PEM) scanners significantly outperform MRI when differentiating between benign and cancerous lesions. The prospective study also found that the combination of PEM and breast MRI dramatically increases a physician's ability to detect potentially cancerous lesions over MRI alone, presenting a powerful combination for improving care. PEM scanners, which are about the size of an ultrasound system, are made by Naviscan (San Diego). PEM scanners are high-resolution breast PET systems that can show the location as well as the metabolic phase of a lesion. This information is critical in determining whether a lesion is malignant and influences the course of treatment. Other imaging systems, such as mammography and ultrasound, only show the location, not the metabolic phase.