• Astra Tech (Waltham, Massachusetts) reported the availability of expanded Atlantis abutment options for Straumann dental implants. Following the recent launch of Atlantis abutments in titanium and gold-shaded titanium for Straumann Bone Level 4.1 and 4.8 implants, Atlantis abutments in zirconia are now also available for these Bone Level implants. Astra Tech is also introducing Atlantis abutments for the Straumann Standard Plus NN (Narrow Neck) 3.3 implant in titanium and gold-shaded titanium. Atlantis abutments are designed and fabricated using Atlantis VAD (Virtual Abutment Design) software, a process that combines 3-D optical scanning, advanced software and manufacturing methods to deliver patient-specific abutments that eliminates the need for hand modification.

• Spectrum Health (Grand Rapids, Michigan) and Medicity (Salt Lake City) said that they have deployed a platform that enables secure health information exchange between hospitals and physicians for enhanced clinical decision-making, care coordination and patient safety. The platform jointly deployed by Spectrum Health and Medicity is being offered to physicians throughout West Michigan. This solution integrates clinical information with the electronic medical record at a physician's office. In addition, if an office is still using paper charts, Spectrum Health supplies a bridge solution so they can start interacting electronically. More than 75 physician offices across eight counties in Michigan now receive data electronically from Spectrum Health and an additional 70 offices are in the process of being connected.

• Leading interventional pain physicians from key U.S. centers gathered at a special June 29 clinical symposium to share their experience with Vertos Medical (Aliso Viejo, California) introduced it's new product mild (Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression), a least invasive surgical procedure for treating lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS), with no implants left behind. The company says that early clinical testimonials from physicians suggest that mild may be an appropriate treatment alternative earlier in the LSS progression, as mild patients have shown favorable results when comparing post-treatment improvement at three months to open surgical procedure patient results at one year. Moreover, mild leaves future surgical options open. Cleared by the FDA for decompression of the lumbar spine, mild is an image-guided procedure performed through a skin puncture the diameter of a pencil. Using mild devices, the physician removes the bone or tissue that is causing the pressure on the nerves.