• Medtronic (Minneapolis) reported receiving approval from the FDA to add sequential biventricular pacing, known as V-V (ventricle-to-ventricle) timing, to its InSync Sentry and InSync Maximo cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators. V-V timing allows physicians to separately adjust the timing of electrical therapy delivered to the heart failure patient’s two ventricles, which can optimize the beating of the heart and enhance the flow of blood throughout the body. Starting in the next two weeks, shipped InSync Sentry and InSync Maximo devices will include V-V timing. The company said it would release special software to allow patients who already have a previous model of these devices to benefit from the feature through a simple, in-clinic software programming change. In addition, the FDA approved a labeling modification for InSync Sentry and InSync Maximo systems to include use for heart failure patients who have prolonged QRS duration.
• Osteotech (Eastown, New Jersey) reported the market release of a new addition to its Grafton Demineralized Bone Matrix (DBM) product line. Grafton DBM Orthoblend consists of two formulations; one for large defects containing demineralized bone fibers with cancellous chips and one for smaller defects containing demineralized bone fibers and crushed cancellous chips. Both product formulations eliminate the need for the surgeon to mix ingredients intra-operatively which saves time and eliminates variability in product consistency that can occur with hand mixing. Grafton DBM Orthoblend is consistent with the rest of the Grafton DBM line of products in terms of osteoconductive and osteoinductive properties, the company said.