A new study reveals that 900 hypertensive patients using Ideal Life (Toronto) remote health management devices to monitor their blood pressure effectively reduced their systolic blood pressure (SYS) by an average of 10 mmHg. For many patients, this decrease brought them below 140 mmHg, the level traditionally defined as the threshold for "high" blood pressure. "Basically, the patients in this study went from being hypertensive to having blood pressures considered within a normal range," said William Courtright, MD. "Monitoring their blood pressure with the IDEAL LIFE system allowed for timely adjustments and better disease management."

• Informatics (Nashville, Tennessee) reported the launch of the ICA CareAlign solution. The CareAlign technology extracts clinical data from existing clinical information systems within the healthcare setting, aggregating the information into a single view that enables users to search and query data to identify key trends both for a patient or a patient population. Its data management capabilities are designed for the meaningful use of healthcare information, with a focus on the needs of patients and consumers.

• Mobile Aspects (Pittsburgh) reported the general availability of its endoscope tracking system, iRIScope. The company says the solution provides a patient-centric approach to manage the utilization, cleaning, reprocessing, and storage of endoscope equipment through the use of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. Cabinet-based units support instrument storage and protection while RFID technology tracks instrument location and status to deliver a centralized and accurate approach for endoscope management. Flexible reporting and analytics tools provide detailed summaries of operating performance attributes.

• Staar Surgical (Monrovia, California) received FDA clearance for its Epiphany Injector System for use with the Affinity Collamer Three-Piece NTIOL and the Elastimide Silicone NTIOL. The Epiphany injector system is intended for single use and offers the flexibility of either twist or push insertion techniques – a unique feature of Staar's IOL delivery systems. The Epiphany provides controlled insertion through a 2.8 mm incision and, being a single use product, ensures a sterile pathway into the eye. The Epiphany's planar delivery of the lens into the eye offers controlled release of the lens haptics which is another clear advantage that will help differentiate this the new system in the market place.

• St. Jude Medical (St. Paul, Minnesota) reported FDA approval of its Cool Point Irrigation Pump. Used in conjunction with SJM open-irrigated ablation catheters, an irrigation pump supplies a continuous flow of saline through the catheter's inner lumen to cool the ablation electrode for more effective energy delivery. Designed to enhance physicians' ability to perform successful atrial ablations, the new Cool Point irrigation pump was developed specifically for use with the company's IBI-1500T9-CP cardiac ablation generator and family of Therapy Cool Path irrigated catheters.

• VNUS Medical Technologies (San Jose, California) said the Journal of Vascular & Interventional Radiology, the publication of the Society of Interventional Radiology, has published a study showing the VNUS ClosureFAST system for radio frequency (RF) thermal ablation to be "significantly superior" to endovenous laser (EVL) for treating venous reflux, the underlying cause of symptomatic varicose veins. The VNUS ClosureFAST catheter is a minimally invasive device generally used in the physician's office with a local anesthetic to heat and seal the great saphenous vein, the most common site of venous reflux in the leg. Specifically, the study showed that radio frequency vein ablation using the ClosureFAST catheter was shown to result in less postoperative pain, less bruising, less tenderness, and better reduction of symptoms than laser as soon as two days after treatment, and remaining considerably better for at least two weeks or longer.

• Welch Allyn (Skaneateles Falls, New York) reported the release of its CardioPerfect Workstation software Version 1.6.2. – redesigned to maximize efficiency, expand electronic health record (EHR) compatibility and increase patient compliance. New and improved software capabilities include pediatric interpretation for its ECG module, compatibility with Microsoft SQL Server 2008, and enhanced METs calculation abilities along with improved report formats for its exercise stress module. Testing procedures ensure that the CardioPerfect Workstation 1.6.2 spirometry module is also in compliance with the American Thoracic Society's 2005 standards for accuracy and precision.

• Ziehm Imaging (Riverside, California) reported FDA clearance for the latest version of mobile C-arm – the Ziehm Vision RFD. Designed for use in endovascular surgery, interventional cardiology and interventional radiology, the Ziehm Vision RFD combines flat-panel technology with the ODDC (Object Detected Dose Control) software. The flat-panel detector allows for fully digital, distortion-free imaging and better access to the patient due to the larger C-arm opening and the 165 degrees orbital rotation.