• Biotronik (Lake Oswego, Oregon) reported the market release of the Stratos LV cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemaker (CRT-P). Stratos LV is a CRT pacemaker — a device which provides low-voltage stimulation for resynchronization therapy but not defibrillation. CRT devices are indicated for certain types of heart failure patients and may improve the pumping action of the heart by helping to synchronize the heart's lower chambers (the ventricles). The Stratos helps maintain resynchronization by forcing the pacemaker to pace the left ventricle whenever there is activity in the right ventricle (whether it is a paced event or the heart beats on its own). This assures that there will be no "one-sided" cardiac activity, and may help to preserve ventricular ejection fraction (a standard measure of the heart's ability to pump blood efficiently), reduce symptoms of heart failure, and synchronize ventricular intrinsic contraction within 2.5 ms of a sensed or paced event in the right ventricle. Biotronik is a cardiovascular medical device company.

• CBaySystems (Annapolis, Maryland) reported the launch of Kyps, the brand name for CBaySystems' web-based practice management and electronic medical record (EMR) system targeted at small- and medium-sized physician practices in the U.S. Kyps combines a practice management system, an electronic medical record solution and a medical transcription service into a single, integrated web-based program offered as a "pay as you go" service. The Kyps service allows physician practices to avoid the upfront capital and ongoing hardware and software costs of traditional practice management and EMR solutions. CBaySystems is a holding company with a portfolio of investments in medical transcription, healthcare technology and healthcare financial services.