Isolagen (Exton, Pennsylvania) reported that it has reached an agreement with the FDA for its Phase III study protocol for Isolagen Therapy for wrinkle treatment. The randomized, double-blind, Phase III trials will evaluate Isolagen Therapy against placebo for the treatment of nasolabial skin fold wrinkles. Each trial will include 200 patients.

Isolagen specializes in the development of autologous cellular therapies for soft and hard tissue regeneration.

Nikon, others open microscopy center

Nikon Instruments (Melville, New York), University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) and the California Institute for Quantitative Biomedical Research (QB3) reported the opening of a collaborative core microscopy imaging center to promote education and innovation in microscopy imaging.

The new UCSF Nikon Imaging Center is equipped with the “latest technology for light microscopy imaging systems,” Nikon said, and that “such a large collection of high-end microscopy technology is rarely available in a single location.”

The center is expected to accelerate bioresearch and discovery, from imaging individual molecules to whole organisms, aiding such studies as brain and heart development, cell movement, chromosome structure and fat accumulation in animal models.

QB3 is the only one of the four California Institutes for Science and Innovation devoted to biomedical research. It brings together scientists from UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz and UCSF to apply quantitative techniques to solve complex biological problems.

Diagnostic Ultrasound becomes Verathon

Diagnostic Ultrasound (Bothell, Washington) has changed its name to Verathon . In January 2006, Diagnostic Ultrasound acquired a non-ultrasound business, Saturn Biomedical Systems and its GlideScope video laryngoscope (GVL) brand. This move, combined with the company’s BladderScan bladder volume instrument business, prompted the new name.

The Verathon name is a fusion of two words that the company says embodies its mission: Veritas (Latin for “truth”), reflecting a commitment to patients and healthcare professionals, and marathon, which suggest enduring achievement over the long run.

Verathon makes instruments for bladder volume measurement.

B&L receives extension on NYSE

Bausch & Lomb (B&L; Rochester, New York) reported that it has received a three-month extension for continued listing and trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). The extension, which is subject to review by the NYSE on an ongoing basis, provides the company until Jan. 2, 2007, to file its annual report for the year ended Dec. 31, 2005, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. During the period, trading of the company’s shares on the NYSE will remain unaffected.

If B&L does not make this filing by Jan. 2, 2007, the Exchange could either grant an additional extension of up to three months or move forward with suspension and delisting procedures.

B&L said that it is “working diligently” to complete all of the ongoing work described Aug. 8, and that it will file the annual report for FY05 “as soon as practicable.”

Novadaq CMO presents procedure

Novadaq Technologies (Toronto), a developer of medical imaging systems for the operating room, reported that Bruce Ferguson, MD, associate chief, Division of Vascular and CT Surgery at East Carolina University Heart Institute (Greenville, North Carolina) and the company’s chief medical advisor, presented the SPY Intra-operative Fluorescence Vascular Angiography procedure and request for a unique ICD-9-CM Code at the Sept. 28 meeting of the Coordination and Maintenance Committee. As a result, a recommendation for a unique ICD-9-CM code is posted on the CMS website.

The process for finalization of recommendations includes a public comment period. Final ICD-9-CM diagnosis and procedure codes for the upcoming fiscal year will be made public in the April 2007 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to be published in the Federal Register following the public comment period which ends Dec. 4.

Tenet selects HCCS courseware

HCCS (Jericho, New York) reported that Tenet Healthcare (Dallas) has selected HCCS compliance and quality improvement courseware to educate physicians and staff at its nearly 70 hospitals in 12 states. More than 75,000 doctors and employees of Tenet Healthcare Corporation will have access to the HCCS online courses, according to the company. HCCS online courseware provides general and detailed education on a wide range of critical regulatory topics. The information is presented in short, entertaining modules made up of a combination of multimedia scenarios, audio, text and interactive exercises. Clients using HCCS’ computer-based training receive automated updates to the courses whenever regulations, documents, legal rulings, settlements and other new information become available. HCCS content is job-function specific, customizable, and automatically updated. Comprehensive management reports are provided.

Tenet Healthcare owns and operates acute care hospitals and related health care services. HCCS provides training courseware to hospitals, health plans, teaching facilities, medical schools and other health-care entities.

MDD releases new report on orthopedics market

The publishers of Medical Device Daily have just released a new 200-page report focusing on the orthopedics sector, Orthopedics 2006 – Trends, Challenges and Opportunities. The report provides detailed insight into the trends impacting the orthopedics sector.

By focusing on emerging technologies and device developments in orthopedics, this new report divides the industry into its primary sub-sectors, and describes the key companies and device technologies being developed in each. “Aside from analysis we provide on the emerging sectors, we also delve into which areas are most vulnerable to current pricing pressures, such as the impact of hospital influence on the industry, along with recent FDA actions,” says Associate Managing Editor Holland Johnson.

For information on purchasing this report, call our customer service department at 1-800-688-2421 or 1-404- 262-5476, or go to www.MedicalDeviceDaily.com.