• 3D Systems (Rock Hill, South Carolina) said that 3M has selected 3D Systems’ Viper Pro SLA technology for the digital production of dental models. This platform will integrate with the soon-to-be-released 3M ESPE Lava Chairside Oral Scanner (C.O.S.). Under an engineering development agreement, 3D is co-developing a rapid manufacturing methodology for the production of accurate, durable models of individual teeth and arches with crisp resolution that combines the 3M ESPE Chairside oral scanning technology with the Viper Pro SLA system and a new Accura SL material. 3D makes 3D modeling, rapid prototyping and rapid manufacturing solutions.

• Aethlon Medical (San Diego) said it has initiated further studies to support the use of its Hemopurifier technology in cancer care. Aethlon recently documented that the Hemopurifier, targeted to treat drug and vaccine resistant viruses, is also effective in capturing tumor derived exosomes from the blood of cancer patients. Exosomes are particles released by solid tumors, lymphomas, and leukemia, and are known to suppress the immune response in cancer patients. New studies, designed to document in vitro capture of exosomes by the Hemopurifier at time intervals up to 120 minutes, are now under way. These studies will also seek to demonstrate whether the removal of circulating exosomes by the Hemopurifier diminishes the suppression of T cell proliferation and activation by the biological fluid. Aethlon Medical makes the Hemopurifier, a medical device to treat infectious disease.

• CEVA (San Jose, California) reported that Advanced Bionics has licensed and deployed the CEVA-TeakLite DSP core in its Harmony HiResolution Bionic Ear System. The CEVA-TeakLite core, used in the external (behind the ear) sound processor of the Harmony system, is a key component in providing unmatched hearing capability for severe-to-profoundly deaf individuals that would otherwise have little or no perception of sound. The device benefits from the CEVA core’s support for CD-quality audio, wide input dynamic range and powerful dual-loop automatic gain control. This technology is used in the Harmony system, with its HiRes Fidelity 120 processing feature, to help cochlear implant recipients appreciate music, use the telephone, and hear in noisy environments, without having to make adjustments to their processor. CEVA is a licensor of intellectual property platform solutions and DSP cores for wireless, consumer and multimedia applications.

• Restore Medical (St. Paul, Minnesota) reported the enrollment of the first patients in a clinical study evaluating the use of Pillar palatal implants in combination with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy in the treatment of mild-to-moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This clinical study will evaluate a combined therapeutic approach of stiffening the soft palate with Pillar palatal implants, thereby allowing the reduction of CPAP pressures and potentially improving patient compliance with CPAP therapy. A CPAP machine delivers a stream of compressed air through a nasal or face mask, which keeps the upper airway open by reducing and/or preventing airway tissue collapse, and allowing unobstructed breathing during sleep. During the Pillar procedure three tiny polyester implants are placed into the soft palate. The Pillar palatal implants add structural support to and stiffen the soft palate, eliminating or minimizing the soft palate flutter or collapse that can cause or contribute to chronic snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. Restore Medical makes products to treat sleep-disordered breathing.