K2M (Leesburg, Virginia), a spinal device company, reported the expansion of its facility to include an additional 13,000 square feet of space, 2,500 of which will make up a conference/training amphitheatre. K2M's facilities will now total 49,000 square feet.

The Leesburg headquarters houses corporate staff, a hands-on training lab, production area, and other operations. The new amphitheatre will provide an area for spinal surgery opinion leaders to collaborate with experbiomechanical engineers and the K2M product development team.

Eric Major, K2M's president/CEO, said, "In addition to the increased office space, the amphitheatre is a key component of our commitment to training, education and innovation related to the spine technology arena."

New brachytherapy service offered

United Medical Systems (UMS; Westborough, Massachusetts), a mobile services company, is launching what it calls a "turnkey" brachytherapy service program in selected areas of the U.S. UMS said it is initiating this program based upon changes made in the reimbursement policies for ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services and will provide the latest equipment, along with an ultrasound technologist, who will set up and assist with the procedure inside the ASC.

The new prostate brachytherapy service model will provide greater efficiencies that benefit the urologist, United said.

TomoTherapy to enhance customer support

TomoTherapy (Madison, Wisconsin), maker of the Hi Art treatment system for radiation therapy, reported plans to enhance the remote service and diagnostics capabilities of its customer support program.

In late 2008, TomoTherapy will pilot the Questra IDM (Intelligent Device Management) Application Suite, an auto-intelligent remote support solution from Questra. Phase I integration of this capability will provide TomoTherapy with the ability to remotely update Hi Art system software and receive product performance information over a secure Internet connection to enhance overall user experience. In subsequent phases of implementation, the Questra-based solution is expected to offer Hi Art users remote planning, plan review and quality assurance capabilities.

"In addition to optimizing Hi Art system uptime across our growing installed base, we expect to also realize a new level of operational efficiency," said Rich Springer, TomoTherapy's VP of customer support.

Encorium Group wins Nasdaq compliance

Encorium Group (Wayne, Pennsylvania), a multinational clinical research organization (CRO) conducting studies in more than 30 countries for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, said that on Sept. 25, it received a letter from Nasdaq stating that it no longer complies with Nasdaq's independent director and audit committee requirements as set forth in Marketplace Rule 4350.

This resulted from the recent changes to the company's board which included the resignation of Christopher Meshginpoosh and Scott Jenkins and the appointment of David Morra.

However, consistent with Marketplace Rules 4350(c)(1) and 4350(d)(4), Nasdaq will provide the company a cure period in order to regain compliance. Encorium has until the earlier of the company's next annual shareholders' meeting or Sept. 5, 2009, to regain compliance.

Alternatively, if the next annual shareholders' meeting is held before March 4, 2009, then the company must evidence compliance no later than that date. Encorium must submit to Nasdaq documentation, including biographies of any new directors, evidencing compliance with the rules no later than this date.

New Western Reserve Heart vascular lab

Western Reserve Heart Care (Hudson, Ohio), a cardiology testing and treatment facility, recently opened a full-service vascular lab to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of peripheral arterial disease, carotid artery disease, abdominal aortic aneurysm and deep vein thrombosis. These services complement the full spectrum of ICAEL and ICANL-certified cardiac testing available at Western Reserve Heart Care, including echocardiography and nuclear stress testing.

"By offering vascular screening, diagnosis and treatment from our lab in Hudson, we are able to care for patients with an increased risk of heart attack or stroke effectively, right here within the community," said Dr. Emil Hayak, founder and medical director of Western Reserve Heart Care.

Tests performed include evaluations of circulation in the legs, veins for blood clots, carotid arteries to evaluate for potential stroke risk, and abdominal aorta to assess potential aneurysms. The vascular laboratory offers a comprehensive array of non-invasive tests including the ankle-brachial index (ABI), carotid duplex ultrasonography, abdominal ultrasound, and the venous doppler ultrasonography.