The European Parliament this week formally agreed to delay the requirement for certain currently approved class 1 medical devices to comply with the new Medical Device Regulation (MDR) when it comes into force on May 26, 2020. Consequently, manufacturers of reusable surgical instruments and devices that have a measuring function will have an additional four years to meet the stricter requirements of MDR.
Boston Scientific Corp., of Marlborough, Mass., has won the U.S. FDA’s nod for the Exalt Model D single-use duodenoscope for use in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) procedures. It is the first single-use duodenoscope on the market and earlier secured breakthrough device designation. “Unlike duodenoscopes that are used on multiple patients, a fully disposable duodenoscope doesn’t need to be reprocessed, eliminating the risk of potential infection due to ineffective reprocessing,” said Jeff Shuren, director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health.
Device makers have been scrambling for space in value-based care arrangements even though the pace of adoption of those arrangements has been somewhat tepid. While device makers are not explicitly included in a proposed overhaul of the Stark and Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) regulations, providers may soon be more engaged in these arrangements, thus providing device makers with more opportunities even if they are not included in the rewrite of the related regulatory provisions.
TORONTO – Montreal’s Dialogue Technologies Inc. has received class 1 CE marking for artificial intelligence (AI)-powered software that enables the company’s existing telehealth platform to reduce the time required to triage patients in emergencies. The new AI-driven Dialogue Intake software also has “human-in-the-loop” capability ensuring real-time medical intervention to verify the accuracy of information provided physicians during telehealth consultation.
Perkinelmer Inc., of Waltham, Mass., has won a thumbs up from the U.S. FDA for its GSP Neonatal Creatine Kinase-MM kit. The assay is the first test approved in the U.S. for help in screening newborns for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a rare but devastating genetic disorder. While there is no known cure for DMD, earlier screening and diagnosis could lead to improvements in quality of life by enabling earlier and more personalized treatment of symptoms. The kit’s approval opens the door for states to include DMD among the battery of tests newborns typically undergo, such as phenylketonuria, cystic fibrosis and congenital heart disease.
Orthogrid Systems Inc., of Salt Lake City, has received a green light from the U.S. FDA for the latest application on its intraoperable PhantomMSK platform, this one for use in orthopedic trauma cases. The new PhantomMSK Trauma application, which Orthogrid plans to formally roll out next spring, joins currently available applications for total hip and hip preservation. The Trauma application is an orthopedic surgical software that helps surgeons achieve and confirm the alignment of bone fractures and improves intraoperative efficiency via artificial intelligence-trained and augmented reality-based decision support and assistance for the placement of surgical instruments.
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