A new study from St. Jude Medical (St. Paul, Minnesota) is breathing new life into the company's Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) technology. The company reported results from a new multi-center clinical trial that has found that using its PressureWire FFR technology changed the course of treatment for more than one fifth of patients suffering non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) heart attacks. The data also demonstrated that FFR-guided PCI is safe and tended to reduce procedure-related myocardial infarctions in NSTEMI patients over angiography alone.

Another company is staking its claim in developing a non-invasive approach toward treating hypertension. Kona Medical (Bellevue, Washington) is evaluating its Surround Sound Hypertension Therapy System through the WAVE IV clinical trial.

So, I just finished up with a series on robotic exoskeletons and how these devices can be used to help patients walk. Subscribers can click here to see the first part of the series. I have to tell you, that I was blown away with the implications these devices have on the future of medicine. For all intents and purposes, the future is now. One of the companies manufacturing these devices is named Cyberdyne (Tsukuba, Japan). Science fiction fans will no doubt remember that Cyberdyne is the name of the company that also created the cybernetic life forms in...