Transenterix Inc., of Research Triangle Park, N.C., said Tuesday that it has filed a 510(k) submission with the U.S. FDA for the Intelligent Surgical Unit (ISU), a machine vision system designed to work with its robotic Senhance surgical system. The new technology would equip users of the Senhance system with augmented intelligence to improve performance and surgical outcomes.

As a word to the wise in a week filled with FDA advisory committee meetings on potential new opioid drugs, the state of Oklahoma filed a lawsuit Monday against three distributors, reminding everyone in the U.S. opioid prescription supply chain of the risk of litigation and hefty penalties.

Abbott Park, Ill.-based Abbott Laboratories has gained the U.S. FDA’s nod for a clinical trial that will compare the effectiveness of Mitraclip to open-heart mitral valve surgical repair in people with primary mitral regurgitation (MR) who are eligible for open-heart surgery. The prospective, randomized REPAIR MR clinical trial is expected to enroll 500 patients.

HONG KONG – Indian authorities have apparently given medical device manufacturers a one-year extension to register for market authorization that was originally to be done by the New Year.

LONDON – Cognetivity Neurosciences Ltd. has received CE software as a medical device approval for its cognitive assessment tool, a five-minute test intended as a diagnostic aid to identifying the earliest stages of dementia.