The U.S. FDA has given the green light to Xact Robotics Ltd. for its Xact Ace robotic system for computer tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous procedures. The company plans to roll out the system later this year with an initial focus on interventional radiologists.

The U.S. FDA’s interest in harmonizing its regulations for medical devices with an international standard is a matter of record, but the agency has found this to be an enormously complicated task. Kim Trautman, executive vice president for medical device services at NSF International, of Ann Arbor, Mich., told BioWorld that the task of rewriting Part 820 to meet ISO 13485 in the middle is no mean feat, but also that it may be delayed again, this time because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The next phase of testing for the COVID-19 pandemic will hopefully include the roll-out of tests for neutralizing antibodies for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, but there are some roadblocks. The FDA’s Tim Stenzel said the agency has a limited amount of information to offer regarding emergency use authorizations for these tests, a predicament that might not resolve until several applicants are in and the agency can see some information that will aid in development of performance and validation standards.

Edwards Lifesciences Corp. has scored an approval from the U.S. FDA for the Konect Resilia aortic valved conduit, a ready-to-implant solution for bio-Bentall procedures.