Executives in the medical device industry are calling on Washington to repeal a 2.3% excise tax on medical device manufacturers, effective at the beginning of next year, which could result in research cut backs and layoffs.

About 50 executives of medical device makers met with members of Congress and aides last week, said Dan Moore, chairman of the Medical Device Manufacturers Association, according to Poststar.com.

He also says the best the industry can expect in the near future is delaying the tax increase, which would help fund programs in President Obama’s health care reform plan, says Poststar.com.

U.S. Rep. Bill Owens, D-Plattsburgh, who cosponsered a bill to repeal the tax in June, concurs with Moore about delaying, but says Congress could repeal the bill when it discusses tax reform in early 2013.

Owens says medical device manufacturers would not have to pay the tax until the end of March, something Moore disputes.

“When the device tax takes effect on Jan. 1, the draft says that we will be paying that every couple of weeks. So we don’t have until the end of the first quarter,” he says, according to Poststar.com.
 

Officials at Sanovas Inc., a life science technology company focused on developing and commercializing the next-generation of micro-invasive diagnostics, devices, and drug delivery technologies, announce that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a Notice of Allowance for the company’s nested balloon catheter for localized drug delivery, a component of Sanovas’ Vas Zeppelin Smart Catheter technology portfolio. The patent covers a unique minimally invasive system and method for delivering diagnostic and therapeutic agents to small diameter anatomy in the lungs and throughout the body.  

“This patent is an important milestone in the protection of the company’s proprietary drug delivery technologies,” says Erhan Gunday, chief technology officer and co-founder of Sanovas. “With more than 45 patents and patents pending, Sanovas has built a strong IP portfolio for our micro-invasive diagnostics, devices and drug delivery technologies that poise to significantly advance the way pulmonary diseases, such as lung cancer, are detected and treated.”

The nested balloon catheter patent, written by Sanovas founders Erhan Gunday and Larry Gerrans, will protect an integral part of the company’s NanoVas drug delivery technology. The ability of new drug delivery systems, such as the nested balloon catheter for localized drug delivery, to deliver targeted, tumor-specific treatments, holds the potential for overcoming one of the greatest hurdles to chemotherapy – systemic toxicity.

“As we advance the science of personalized medicine, the ability to deliver customized immune and gene therapy will transform the way cancer and chronic disease are treated. Sanovas is proud to be at the forefront of these significant advances,” Gerrans says.

Sanovas’ Vas Zeppelin Smart Catheter technology portfolio is designed to access, image, measure and diagnose anatomy in small airways and vessels residing at, or below, three millimeters in diameter. Featuring the world’s smallest surgical camera, the Vas Zeppelin allows the removal of tumors and other obstructions and enables the local delivery of drug and immune therapies to patients suffering from lung cancer and related pulmonary and vascular diseases. 
 

Officials at Dune Medical Devices Inc. announce that the company has received an Approvable Letter for its Premarket Approval Application (PMA) from the Food and Drug Administration.  The Approvable Letter states that the MarginProbe System PMA is approvable subject to final agreement with FDA on the design of the required Post Approval Study.

 "We are delighted to have come to this point in the approval process with FDA and will work diligently over the coming weeks to develop the final design of the Post Approval Study.  Having completed our discussions with FDA related to product labeling, the Post Approval Study is the only remaining issue to be resolved prior to final approval," says Daniel Levangie, CEO of Dune Medical Devices.

About Early-Stage Breast Cancer Treatment
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer affecting women in the U.S., with more than 285,000 women diagnosed each year. Increased breast screening awareness and advancements in imaging technology such as mammograms now catch more breast cancer cases in earlier stages, when they are most treatable.  In fact, more than half of all breast cancer diagnoses are for early-stage cancers. Many of these cases are non-palpable, meaning a tumor cannot be felt during a breast exam.

It is estimated that 60% to 75% of breast cancer cases will undergo a lumpectomy procedure as their initial treatment versus mastectomy, which involves the removal of the whole breast. Lumpectomy in combination with radiation therapy is as effective in combating breast cancer as mastectomy, as long as no cancer cells are present on the rim or edge of the removed tissue, also known as "clean margins." Research shows there is no significant difference in overall survival between the two procedures; however, if there is cancer at the edge, or a "positive margin," the risk of recurrence increases significantly.

Following a lumpectomy, surgeons will send the removed tissue to the pathology lab where it is analyzed for cancer on the margin. This is critical information because if there is cancer present on the edges of the removed tissue, there is a possibility that cancer still remains in the breast. Once a tissue sample is sent to pathology for analysis, it can take approximately one week or more to receive the lab results that determine if the patient must undergo a repeat surgery.

Inability to know if all cancerous cells have been removed from the breast during the initial lumpectomy procedure results in repeat surgery rates ranging from 30% to 60%.

Pittman Motors, a brand of Ametek Precision Motion Control, introduces a new DC brush and brushless motor catalog, available on request.  The new catalog serves as a “starting point” for helping mechatronics and motion control engineers design a DC motor solution perfectly suited for a particular application.  The catalog also contains detailed sections on readily available options including gearboxes, encoders, and brakes. 

Offering a wide variety of motor technologies, the new catalog is divided into the following sections:

Brush Commutated DC Motors
Brush commutated motors are easy to control and are perfect for most general purpose motion applications.  To optimize performance, motors can be designed with various brush materials, permanent magnet materials, EMI/RFI suppression networks, bearing systems, and output shaft devices.

Instrument Grade Brushless DC Motors
These are general purpose NEMA frame motors with an IP42 rated construction or greater.  The instrument grade motors can be used in a multitude of industrial or OEM applications.

Automation Grade Brushless DC Motors
Heavy-duty NEMA frame motors capable of very high output torque and power.  Motors are manufactured using IP65 rated construction and include Mil-Spec connectors.  Maximum torque output is 114 lb/in (12.880 Nm).

High Performance Slotless Brushless DC Motors
This is the smallest motor offering perfect for applications requiring a miniature motor capable of very high speeds.  These motors are ideal for applications such as medical instruments and dental tools.   

Slotless Brushless DC Motors
The slotless brushless motor design exhibits negligible magnetic cogging allowing extremely smooth motion even at low shaft speeds.  The low inductance and high current bandwidth results in fast responses to “move” commands when used as a closed-loop positioning servo.

Brushless DC Motors with Integrated Control
Integrated brushless DC motor and controller packages are designed to simplify system integration, and minimize interconnection cabling.

Product applications for Pittman motors are diverse and span a wide variety of high tech industries including medical instruments, laboratory automation, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, laser and optics equipment, or just about any other application where precision motion is needed.  For more information, visit www.Pittman-Motors.com.