Surgeons now have a much more realistic image to use when planning spine and knee procedures with the FDA's 510(k) clearance this week of biospace med's (Paris/Marietta, Georgia) X-ray imaging system, the first that allows patients to stand up during the process and produces 3-D images. (Medical Device Daily)

ATLANTA — While Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech; Atlanta) student Brad Kairdolf was studying biomedical engineering, his wife Alyssa was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Because the first pathology report was negative, she ended up having to go back into surgery a week after the initial biopsy when further analysis of the tissue sample confirmed cancer. (Diagnostics & Imaging Week)

There is light at the end of the infection control tunnel – particularly when it comes to the growing incidences of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections – with the FDA's clearance this week of Cepheid's (Sunnyvale, California) GeneXpert MRSA/SA Skin and Soft Tissue Infection (SSTI) test, which can provide clinicians with results in less than a hour, compared to traditional cultured tests which can take days. (Diagnostics & Imaging Week)

There is light at the end of the infection control tunnel – particularly when it comes to the growing incidences of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections – with the FDA's clearance this week of Cepheid's (Sunnyvale, California) GeneXpert MRSA/SA Skin and Soft Tissue Infection (SSTI) test, which can provide clinicians with results in less than a hour, compared to traditional cultured tests which can take days. (Medical Device Daily)

ATLANTA – Georgia may not be an official biotech or med-tech hotbed, but it's moving in that direction as demonstrated by the breadth of companies and researchers featured during this week's Georgia Life Sciences Summit 2008. And, despite venture capital funding difficulties in recent times, the state has seen steady growth with 300 life sciences companies calling the southern state home that now boasts nearly $8 billion in annual sales of 400 life science products. (Medical Device Daily)