The results of a landmark study published this month in Circulation indicate that a new device from Medtronic (Minneapolis), the IN.PACT Admiral drug-coated balloon (DCB) significantly outperformed standard balloon angioplasty in the treatment of symptomatic peripheral artery disease in the upper leg, specifically the superficial femoral and proximal popliteal arteries.

There's no denying that one of the hottest emerging sectors in healthcare is wearable technology and several wearable health monitoring devices have been touted on various holiday gift guides that have been making their way around cyberspace. But findings from a consumer behavior study released in August by Endeavour Partners (Cambridge, Massachusetts) suggest an uncertain future for smart wearable devices.

One of the most frustrating aspects of Crohn's Disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), is that there is no one-size-fits-all treatment, so to speak. Patients diagnosed with Crohn's often have to try a series of different medications before finding the one that works best for them, and even then they may still end up needing major colorectal surgery.

After watching his father die from heart valve disease, Bret Park, a mechanical engineer from Salt Lake City, used his expertise in fluid dynamics to develop a new procedure to replace leaking or regurgitating heart valves without touching the heart.

The goal of breast conservation surgery is to remove enough tissue that the chance of the cancer returning is low, while leaving healthy tissue alone. The problem is knowing exactly where that target tissue is and how much to take often ends up being a bit of a guessing game.

New data from two separate studies have demonstrated that the Endurant AAA stent graft system from Medtronic (Minneapolis) delivers durable and consistent outcomes. The Endurant AAA system has been used to treat more than 165,000 patients worldwide since it was introduced in Europe in 2008, the company noted.

Benvenue Medical (Santa Clara, California) has received FDA 510(k) clearance for its Luna 360 interbody fusion system for treatment of symptomatic degenerative disc disease (DDD). The company said the clearance represents an important expansion of its spine product portfolio beyond the Kiva VCF treatment system into the $3.2 billion U.S. market for expandable interbody fusion devices.

Right about this time last week, somewhere between the third slice of pumpkin pie and a turkey-induced coma, my mind drifted over some of the stories Medical Device Daily has covered in 2014 and all the things the med-tech industry should be grateful for this year. A surge in IPOs and an active M&A market were high on that list. But Thanksgiving is over and my thoughts have turned to the gift-giving season. As I tell my six-year-old every time a new toy...