Officials at Nonin Medical Inc., the inventor of finger-pulse oximetry and a leader in noninvasive medical monitoring, announce that the company's Onyx II Model 9560 Fingertip Pulse Oximeter is now compatible with the 2net Platform for wireless health solutions. Developed by Qualcomm Life Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, the 2net Platform is a cloud-based system designed to be universally interoperable with different medical devices and applications, enabling end-to-end wireless connectivity while allowing medical device users and their physicians or caregivers to easily access biometric data. The connection between the 2net Hub and Nonin is made via a Continua-compliant Bluetooth wireless technology protocol.

"As a leader in developing non-invasive monitoring devices, we are proud to be the first company to offer a pulse oximeter solution that seamlessly integrates into the 2net Platform," says Mark VanderWerf, vice president-ehealth for Nonin Medical. "The clinical quality data provided by the Onyx II through the 2net Hub and Platform will enable clinicians to remotely monitor patients with chronic diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congestive heart failure (CHF) or asthma."

The announcement was made during the Fourth Annual mHealth Summit in Washington, D.C., the largest event of its kind that brings together leaders in government, the private sector, industry, academia, providers and not-for-profit organizations throughout healthcare to advance collaboration in the use of wireless technology to improve patient outcomes.

"We are pleased to have Nonin Medical incorporate the 2net Platform into their product offering," says Rick Valencia, vice president and general manager of Qualcomm Life. "Nonin's leadership in their device offerings for patients with COPD, CHF or asthma will broaden our portfolio of remote monitoring options for users with these conditions and we look forward to seeing the improvement of overall clinical outcomes."

Officials at Covidien, a leading global provider of healthcare products, launch the AS Meniscal Repair Device. The newest addition to the company’s line of sports surgery devices, the AS Meniscal Repair Device enables orthopedic surgeons to perform “all-inside,” minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn meniscus in the knee using the gold standard “all-suture” method of fixation.

“Any meniscal repair system needs to deliver high-strength fixation in order to optimize the biologic healing potential,” says Bryan M. Huber, MD, Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon at Mansfield Orthopaedics in Stowe, VT. “The AS Meniscal Repair Device enables surgeons to leverage the value of using the gold standard all-suture approach in a less invasive arthroscopic fashion.”

Bench-top tests conducted by Covidien confirm that the AS Meniscal Repair Device deploys sutures with strong holding power consistently and reliably without the need for any anchors.

Dr. Huber adds, “In my practice, I have experienced a consistently high rate of firing success when using the AS Meniscal Repair Device, in stark comparison to other products on the market where I’ve experienced a significant misfire rate. With an all-suture method of fixation, the AS Meniscal Repair Device eliminates any migration risk of broken tacks or anchors which could cause damage inside the knee and may lead to increased operative time during removal. The AS Meniscal Repair Device has improved my operative efficiency by delivering a high level of reliability and success.”

The new device, designed for intuitive use, works with only one thumb slide actuation and no complex components. It also features clear, laser-etched depth markings on the specially coated needles, allowing for precision in depth of penetration. Needles are available in two configurations, curved and straight, to meet surgeons’ diverse repair needs.

“Covidien is setting new standards for consistency and reliability with this innovative, new design,” says Peter Marshall, director, R&D, Covidien. “The innovation seen in the design of the AS Meniscal Repair Device provides orthopedic surgeons with the confidence and security of an all-suture repair without the concern of rigid implant placement in soft tissue. Using feedback from our surgeon customers, we designed the AS Meniscal Repair Device to deliver optimal performance to address one of the fastest-growing orthopedic procedures performed today.”

A torn meniscus is one of the most common injuries to the knee. According to a recent market analysis conducted by Millennium Research Group2, in 2010 more than 840,000 procedures relating to meniscal injuries were performed in the United States. Millennium’s research indicates that in the U.S., meniscus repair procedures utilizing fixation devices are expected to increase at an eight percent compound annual growth rate through 2015.

Volcano, a manufacturer of precision guided therapy tools, has entered into an agreement to purchase U.S.-based Crux Biomedical for $36 million in cash.

Crux Biomedical's commercial products include the FDA-approved and CE-marked inferior vena cava (IVC) filter, designed for treating patients with pulmonary embolisms (PEs) where anticoagulation is contraindicated or ineffective.

Featuring a helical design that self-centres, the Crux VCF system facilitates bi-directional retrieval through either the femoral or jugular veins.

Pivotal studies including RETRIEVE 2, 3 and 4, which enrolled 125 patients at high risk for PE, have demonstrated that the IVC filter has a retrieval success of 98% with no embolisation, migration and fracture.

Under the terms of the agreement, Volcano will pay up to approximately $3.1million in Crux transaction expenses.

Volcano will also pay a post-closing cash milestone payment of $3 million, upon the US FDA clearance of a 510(k) application submitted by the company on or before June 30, 2013, for a retrieval device being developed by Crux.

In addition, based on sales of Crux products following the commercial launch, Volcano is expected to make additional cash payments for up to four years.

Officials for Volcano say once full-scale manufacturing is implemented at its Rancho Cordova facility in California, it will begin commercial sales of Crux products at the end of 2013.

Crux Biomedical chairman Randy Lindholm says; "We believe Volcano is the perfect partner for us and is uniquely positioned to generate widespread adoption of the Crux VCF."

Volcano is also planning to seek regulatory approval to market the Crux VCF system in combination with its intravascular imaging technology.

Laserage Technology Crop., a global contract manufacturing source for precision laser processing, has acquired a majority interest in Venta Medical, a turn-key medical contract manufacturer located in Silicon Valley, CA.

The Laserage executive team, together with the founders of Venta Medical, see this as an opportunity to accelerate their growth in the medical contract manufacturing marketplace. Laserage views the partnership as a strategic move strengthening its contract manufacturing capabilities and an opening for further geographic penetration in the medical device market.

"This is an opportunity for Laserage to enhance our existing service offerings, while establishing a California presence to serve the critical needs of emerging companies in the medical technology arena," states Steve Capp, Laserage President and CEO. "This also increases Laserage's ability to provide more comprehensive, locally based services, including cleanroom assembly, to our many existing California customers."

"Laserage's participation allows Venta to expand its supply chain service offerings, which already includes plastics, through our existing strategic alliance with Delta Pacific" says Karl Im, Co-Founder and CEO of Venta Medical. "This also reinforces the continued emphasis of Venta to be the most comprehensive manufacturing service provider in the market, and leverages the resources of Laserage to expand our national presence."