• CardioTech International (Wilmington, Massachusetts) reported receiving FDA approval to export its 4 mm graft in further support of the ongoing European clinical trial of CardioPass, the company's synthetic coronary bypass graft. CardioPass is designed as an alternative for patients who have undergone repeat procedures or have insufficient native vessels for bypass, accounting for up to 20% of all bypass procedures. CardioPass is made from ChronoFlex, the company's biodurable medical-grade polymer and engineered to be pulsatile, biostable, torque-resistant and suturable. Once implanted, the graft's polymer construction allows it to incorporate the patient's own cells and tissue, so that the inner surface mimics the normal environment for blood contact. CardioTech makes biomaterials for medical devices.

• Echo Therapeutics (Franklin, Massachusetts) reported publication of results from three pilot clinical studies of its Symphony Transdermal Continuous Glucose Monitoring (tCGM) system in the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology. The company said that the article highlights that each of the three pilot clinical studies produced positive results supporting the use of Echo's Symphony tCGM System for non-invasive, real-time continuous glucose monitoring, and its recently developed skin permeation device, the Prelude SkinPrep System. Echo makes transdermal devices and specialty pharmaceuticals.

• Lumedx (Oakland, California) has introduced CardioPACS 5.0, the latest version of its cardiology PACS software. Multi-modality, web-enabled and vendor-neutral, CardioPACS 5.0 is a next-generation PACS solution that physicians can use to view diagnostic-quality images in real-time from any network-connected personal computer in any location — the operating room, cath lab, a private office, remote outreach or mobile clinic. CardioPACS offers: on-demand workstations anywhere in the hospital and throughout the network; imaging for multiple clinical areas — Cath, Echo, Nuclear, CT MR, PET CT and SPECT — at one workstation; and real-time access to images from any connected location, onsite or off.

• Lutronic (Princeton Junction, New Jersey) reported receiving FDA clearance for the eCO2 system. Using what Lutronics calls controlled chaos technology, this fractional CO2 laser is designed to offer ways to treat deep ablative indications such as resurfacing and coagulation of soft tissue, textural irregularities, fine lines, pigmented lesions, vascular dyschromia and rhytides, plus the ability to combine two operational modes in one delivery system when deep penetration and greater patient comfort is required. With both static and dynamic operation modes, users have the capability to stamp up to a 14 mm x 14 mm scan area, as well as the option to "feather" the treatment area to reduce the "checkerboard" appearance common with current fractional CO2 devices. Lutronic makes aesthetic and medical lasers.

• Masimo (Irvine, California) said that a clinical study, published in the June issue of the British Journal of Anaesthesia concluded that Masimo's PVI measurement "can predict fluid responsiveness in mechanically ventilated patients under general anesthesia." PVI is a new measurement available in the Masimo Rainbow SET platform that allows non-invasive, automated and continuous monitoring of the variation in the pulse oximeter waveform amplitude during respiration. Masimo Rainbow SET measures total hemoglobin, oxygen content, carboxyhemoglobin, methemoglobin, and PVI, in addition to oxyhemoglobin, pulse rate, and perfusion index, allowing early detection and treatment of life- threatening conditions.