Guidant has consented to a presentence invesigation that was ordered by the judge handling the company's $296 million settlement with the government. The settlement stems from charges that Guidant (now owned by Boston Scientific) hid safety information about its defibrillators from federal regulators.

According to the StarTribune, the federal judge rejected the settlement between Guidant and the U.S. Justice Department last month, saying that it failed to serve the public interest. He suggested that Guidant should pay damages to help such programs as Medicare. Additionally, the judge said that a presentence investigation report would be helpful in determining whether Boston Scientific would be affected by any unintended consequences.