All too often brain tumor patients hear the disheartening word "inoperable" because of the tumor's precise location in the brain. Jim Pearson, president/CEO of NICO (Indianapolis) says his company is working to change that – at least for some patients – by developing tools that provide neurosurgeons with more control during tumor removal and increased patient safety when working on or near critical brain structures, such as nerves and blood vessels. (Medical Device Daily)

Roughly 37 million more Americans are now eligible for weight loss surgery with the Lap-Band adjustable gastric banding system, Allergan (Irvine, California) reported. The FDA has approved the expanded use of Allergan's Lap-Band system for adults with obesity who have failed more conservative weight reduction alternatives, such as diet and exercise and pharmacotherapy, and have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 to 40 and at least one obesity related co-morbid condition. (Medical Device Daily)

Imagine having such difficulty swallowing food that eating in public or in other social settings is both embarrassing and painful. For sufferers of dysphagia, the simple act of swallowing is a daily concern. Product Development Technologies (PDT; Los Angeles), along with Peter Belafsky, MD, PhD, an otolaryngology specialist in Sacramento, California, is hoping to change that. (Medical Device Daily)

Hologic (Bedford, Massachusetts) has won FDA approval for its Selenia Dimensions digital breast tomosynthesis system (Dimensions 3-D), marking the first FDA approval for a 3-D mammography system. (Medical Device Daily)

Women receive a greater clinical benefit from cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-Ds) than men, according to a gender-based sub-analysis of the MADIT-CRT trial data published in the current issue of the Journal of American College of Cardiology (Washington). (Medical Device Daily)