• 3M (St. Paul, Minnesota) reported its latest advancement in electronic stethoscope technology, the 3M Littmann Electronic Stethoscope Model 3100. The new user interface includes ergonomic control layout, LCD display to advise of current settings and remaining battery life, and a menu button with screen-guided commands to customize start-up settings. The Model 3100 also has new auto-on technology that turns the stethoscope on automatically when the clinician touches the stethoscope chestpiece to their patient. It saves battery life between patient interactions, while eliminating the need to find the on button before auscultating a patient.

• Boston Scientific (Natick, Massachusetts) reported the start of patient enrollment in the ORION clinical trial, which is designed to evaluate the company's Epic self-expanding nitinol stent system for the treatment of iliac artery disease, a form of peripheral artery disease that impacts a patient's lower extremities. The first U.S. patient was enrolled on May 14 by Nicolas Shammas, MD, at Trinity Terrace Park Hospital (Bettendorf, Iowa). "Peripheral stenting has become a recognized standard in the treatment of iliac arterial disease," said Daniel Clair, MD, principal investigator of the trial and chairman of the department of vascular surgery at the Cleveland Clinic. "The ORION clinical trial will provide important data on the performance of the Epic Stent in the treatment of atherosclerotic lesions in iliac arteries." The Epic Stent is a self-expanding nitinol stent designed to sustain vessel patency while providing enhanced visibility during placement. The ORION trial incorporates stent diameter ranges from 6 mm to 12 mm and lengths up to 120 mm. All stent sizes are compatible with 6 Fr (2.1 mm) sheaths, and the stent delivery system is compatible with 0.035'" (0.89 mm) guide wires.

• Cianna Medical (Aliso Viejo, California) reported data from two studies that showed breast cancer radiation with the Savi applicator provides outstanding cosmetic and other clinical outcomes, and is an "ideal solution" for breast conservation therapy patients with small breasts, small tumor beds and minimal distance between the lumpectomy cavity and skin surface. Savi is implemented as part of breast conservation therapy, which encompasses surgery to remove the breast cancer and follow-up radiation delivered inside the breast in a procedure known as breast brachytherapy. Savi treatment is completed in five days, compared to the six weeks of treatment, five days a week, that are typically required by traditional, external-beam radiation treatment.

• Kinetic Concepts (San Antonio) said it has received FDA clearance to market its ABThera open abdomen dressing. In conjunction with the company's ABThera abdomen negative pressure therapy unit, the ABThera open abdomen negative pressure therapy system will be indicated for temporary bridging of abdominal wall openings where primary closure is not possible or repeat abdominal entries are necessary. The intended use of the system is for open abdominal wounds, with exposed viscera, including but not limited to abdominal compartment syndrome.

• Q-Med (Uppsala, Sweden) reported the addition of Restylane Lidocaine and Restylane Perlane Lidocaine as the latest additions to the Restylane range. The Restylane gel is a crystal-clear gel based on stabilized hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is found naturally in the skin with the main function to bind water. Frown lines, wrinkles around the nose, mouth and between the eyes can be managed with the new products.

• Smith & Nephew Endoscopy (Andover, Massachusetts) reported the launch of the Biceptor Tenodesis system to treat injuries to the biceps tendon in the shoulder. The system allows surgeons to re-attach the biceps tendon to the humerus, or upper arm bone, using an all-arthroscopic technique. The surgeon drills a tunnel in the humerus and secures healthy biceps tendon tissue inside it using the Biosure PK Interference Screw. The screw's tapered shape and thread pattern compress the tendon tissue against the walls of the bone tunnel, providing multiple potential attachment points. With the tendon re-attached, the damaged section of the biceps tendon is cut away.

• Spiration (Redmond, Washington) presented results of two analyses of methods used for evaluating U.S. Pilot Study effectiveness of bronchial valve treatment for severe emphysema, with a focus on it's IBV valve system. One study concludes that valve treatment for upper lobe predominant emphysema significantly improves health-related quality of life. The other study concludes that Quantitative Computed Tomography (QCT) measures of lung volumes have significantly less variation than PL (plethysmography), typically considered the best measure of lung volume in severe COPD. Spiration's IBV valve system is a minimally invasive treatment that has diverse applications in both acute and chronic conditions of the lung. During the minimally invasive procedure, a catheter is passed through a bronchoscope (a flexible tube passed into the bronchial tubes through the mouth or nose) to deploy the small umbrella-shaped valves into the airways of the lungs. The valves are designed to be easily removed via a similar bronchoscopic procedure.

• Toshiba America Medical Systems (Tustin, California) has introduced two advanced multi-detector CT systems, the Aquilion Premium edition and the Aquilion CX edition. The Aquilion Premium rounds out the company's CT portfolio to include a product with 160-detector rows and coverage up to 8 cm in a single rotation. This system is also field-upgradeable to an Aquilion ONE. The Aquilion CX is Toshiba's next-generation 64-detector row CT system, featuring faster reconstruction standards with up to 28 images per second, Toshiba's proven Quantum Advantage detector technology and a patient couch that can accommodate up to 660 lbs.