• Aethlon Medical (San Diego) reported preliminary data of hepatitis C (HCV)-infected patients treated with the Aethlon Hemopurifier, a medical device designed to assist the immune response in combating infectious disease. The HCV-treated patients were among end-stage renal disease patients enrolled in human safety studies. In conclusion, the Hemopurifier treatment of HCV infected patients undergoing dialysis resulted in a net viral load reduction of 60% to 80%, with the effects of treatment progressing at least seven days beyond Hemopurifier treatment. The Hemopurifier is designed to assist the immune response in combating infectious disease by rapidly clearing viruses and immunosuppressive proteins from circulation. The device provides a novel mechanism to complement antiviral therapies by suppressing the emergence of viral strains that cause drug resistance. Aethlon Medical makes products to treat infectious disease.

• ENTrigue Surgical (San Antonio) reported the commercial release of its initial SerpENT articulating instruments, the first of several planned solutions for ENT surgery. The SerpENT instruments use a technology that enables instruments to bend around corners, resulting in less-invasive and more-efficient surgical procedures. The company plans to commercialize several additional unique solutions for ENT procedures, including products based on absorbable polymer technologies. ENTrigue Surgical specializes in devices and therapies for the ENT operating room and office.

• InSound Medical (Tampa, Florida) reported the availability of the new hearing device, Lyric, for Tampa-area patients with mild-to-moderately severe hearing loss. Lyric is placed in the ear near the eardrum during a routine office visit to a Lyric-trained hearing professional, who may be an ENT physician, audiologist or hearing aid specialist. No surgery or anesthesia is required. Once inserted, Lyric is programmed for the patient's specific hearing needs, after which patients can use a magnetic wand to adjust the settings and volume as needed. Since Lyric is inserted into the ear canal and does not have to be removed, patients use Lyric throughout their everyday activities, such as exercising, showering, talking on the phone and sleeping. Patients can wear Lyric for up to 120 days or until the battery is depleted, after which a new device is placed by the patient's Lyric provider. InSound Medical makes hearing solution products.

• Orqis Medical (Lake Forest, California) reported the first implant of the new Exeleras system in a 47-year-old man suffering from NYHA Class III heart failure. According to the company the man was a moderately severe heart failure patient who, without the Exeleras device, would need to decline significantly to be considered a candidate for a more invasive ventricular assist device. Within 48 hours of the Exeleras procedure, the hemodynamics shifted from being classified as moderately severe heart failure to near normal levels, Orqis said. The company develops minimally invasive devices designed to unload the heart without touching the heart and improve cardiac performance.