Researchers affiliated with the U.K.’s University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust filed for protection of a device for treating simple or complex anal or rectovaginal fistulas which is less invasive and more effective than existing treatments. The device combines a bioresorbable scaffold to heal the fistula and a thin comfortable seton to achieve drainage.

The Netherlands-based research company Stichting imec Nederland filed for protection of a smart toilet seat for the non-invasive measurement of physiological parameters, and especially for detecting a bowel movement and/or urination, and for characterizing excrement or feces in terms of a firmness level.

Eli Lilly and Co. continues its development of an oral drug delivery device that can successfully deliver a drug that would otherwise be ineffective when taken orally.

Endostart s.r.l. received U.S. FDA 510(k) clearance for Endorail, a magnetic balloon system which helps resolve intestinal looping and facilitates the efficiency and safety of colonoscopy procedures. The approval is an “important milestone” for the company as it will allow Endostart to bring its technology to the U.S. market to empower physicians, Alessandro Tozzi, co-founder and CEO of the company, told BioWorld.

China’s National Medical Products Administration has cleared China Grand Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Holdings Ltd. to advance radiopharmaceutical agent ITM-11 (177Lu-edotreotide) to phase III trials in gastroenteropancreatic-neuroendocrine tumors

Surgeon, CEO and founder of Hutom Corp., Woo Jin Hyung, is working to level the playing field in the operating room with artificial intelligence (AI) and big data, leveraging digital technology to optimize surgical outcomes.

Another med-tech acquisition was wiped off the charts after Japan’s Olympus Corp. rescinded the acquisition of South Korean medical device firm Taewoong Medical Co. Ltd. on March 7, after finding “data integrity issues” related to Taewoong’s products.

Epitomee Medical Ltd submitted its application to the U.S. FDA for 510k regulatory clearance for its swallowable weight loss capsule. It joins a host of companies offering solutions to the global obesity crisis.

Watertown, Mass.-based Lyndra Therapeutics Inc. is seeking patent protection for gastric residence drug delivery systems with improved shelf lives through their inclusion of a metal core.

The U.S. FDA granted Virtual Incision Corp. de novo marketing authorization for its miniaturized in vivo robotic assistant for use in colectomy procedures in adults. The two-pound device offers portability and quick setup, eliminating the need for specialized operating rooms or arrangements to accommodate robotics.