Mainland China has been the med tech world's hot spot for some time now thanks to a population exceeding a billion and a growing middle class. Some of that affection has shifted to India, perhaps not a bad idea even if you discount some recent news. By now, many have heard the rumblings that Beijing is intent on pushing out foreign med tech firms with protectionist policies as reported Aug. 20 in Medical Device Daily by Kristine Yang, our Asia correspondent. However, Kristine also reported in the Aug. 18 edition that Beijing is using...

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...

I have had may share of personal experiences with medical technology. Some were painful, some humiliating, and some downright scary. But looking at a humorous list from ViralNova (www.viralnova.com) of 15 vintage medical devices, I’m reminded of how far medical innovation has come. Suddenly the devices I’ve been poked and prodded with over the years don’t seem so bad. This is ViralNova’s list of crazy ancient medical devices, in reverse order: Rectal dilators: Without diving directly into the deep end of TMI, let’s just say I do have some medically-relevant experience with the modern version of these devices. As unpleasant...

By now, few members of the human race have not heard the news about comedian Robin Williams, who took his own life the morning of Aug. 11. We don’t pretend to know Williams, but those who reach us through audiovisual media have a way of reaching our emotions, and so we feel a pang at their passing, whatever the circumstances. Suicide seems unique in the grief it imparts to the loved ones of the deceased, but Williams’ demise gives us a moment to reflect on suicide...

There’s no shortage of nutty thinking and absurd claims in this world, and you have to love the Interweb for giving us so much access to some of this. In that spirit, I offer two of the more out-there examples of recent vintage. Cancer too profitable to be cured You know the drill. There’s way too much money to be made treating cancer serially to actually come up with a cure – or to release a cure should one “accidentally” devise one. Is it just me or is it worrisome...

The medical device industry is no stranger to whistleblower lawsuits. In fact, these cases are so commonplace that most of the time they don’t even make the front page. I wouldn’t go so far as to say the industry is “extraordinarily corrupt” as one watchdog group claimed a couple years back (MDD, May 8, 2012), but it doesn’t help the image when almost all the leading device companies have been accused at one time or another of offering kickbacks. The latest such scandal involves Acumed, a company in the Portland area, accused of making bogus payments to doctors and overseas...

FDA’s warning letters to device makers serve as vehicles for all kinds of statements, including statements about when a device maker needs a new regulatory filing. Lately it seems that has come up a lot more, but is that a trend or just a blip on the screen? We all remember the outcome of FDA’s confrontation with Steris in 2009. The agency hammered the firm for a series of incremental changes to its System 1 sterilizers, and Steris eventually caved, withdrawing the sterilizer...

When my father had a serious fall last month, I was tasked with playing a much larger role in his health. I had heard stories about people taking care of their parents - some were horror stories - but my particular story is turning out to be a bit different. That's mostly because of electronic health records - and a program that allows me to monitor my father's medications and make sure his prescriptions are up to date. The other part is because my father finally trusted me enough to see his passwords - but that's another story. But now...

In 2004 my hometown lost its largest employer to corporate greed. I was a young reporter for the local newspaper, The Register-Mail, when Maytag closed its doors in 2004, forcing roughly 1,600 workers in Galesburg, Illinois and surrounding towns out of their jobs. Most hurtful to the community was the factory’s reason for shutting down: Maytag moved to Mexico to take advantage of cheap labor. Galesburg has never been the same and a lot of people there are still struggling financially and they feel betrayed...

It’s that fun time of even-numbered years again when events in Washington bog down with the impending congressional summer recess and the November elections hanging over the heads of nearly everyone in Congress. Despite that Damoclean discomfort, shouldn’t we be rewarded with a regular set of spending bills? Apparently not. As best as I can tell, Congress had passed no spending bills for fiscal 2015 on or about July 10, which means we’re almost certainly headed for another series of CRs, or continuing resolutions. The fate of H.R....