Medtech in a Minute: Business Buzz and a 3D-Printed Eye, Oh My!
Catch up on the biggest medtech news stories of the week in one minute or less.
December 6, 2021
BD Is Hot on the M&A Trail
BD is one of a handful of medtech companies that have been active in mergers and acquisitions (M&A). The company said it will acquire Venclose, a company that has developed an RF ablation technology platform that treats a disease that is the result of malfunctioning valves and can lead to varicose veins. This marks the seventh acquisition that BD has announced in 2021.
Investors Back Virtual Incision with $46M Financing
Virtual Incision, a company developing a miniaturized in vivo robotic assistant surgical platform, has raised $46 million in a series C financing. John Murphy, the company's president and CEO, told MD+DI the funding will be used for clinical regulatory work, R&D, and for building out its engineering and commercial teams. The company is targeting colon surgery for its first indication and, if all goes according to plan, it will pursue indications for gallbladder removal, hysterectomy, sleeve gastrectomy, and others.
A 3D-Printed Eye? Oh My!
A man in London, England has become the first person in the world to receive a fully digital 3D-printed eye. The 3D-printed eye is a true biomimic and a more realistic prosthetic, with clearer definition and real depth to the pupil, according to Moorfields Eye Hospital. Unlike traditional methods, it uses scans of the eye instead of an invasive mold of the eye socket.
And in case you missed our last Medtech in a Minute report...
A Big Moment for Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery
iStar Medical just left its mark on the fast-growing market for minimally invasive glaucoma surgery with the European launch of its MINIject glaucoma implant. iStar said MINIject is now the only commercially available minimally invasive supraciliary device for glaucoma, meaning it is the only approved MIGS device designed to target the supraciliary space as a natural outflow pathway for the reduction of intra-ocular pressure. The company's CE mark news comes on the heels of Alcon announcing its intentions to acquire Ivantis.
FDA Flags a Rare but Serious Complication Risk Linked to Medtronic's Leadless Pacemaker
FDA penned a letter reminding heart surgeons about thre risk of major complications if cardiac perforation occurs during leadless pacemaker implantation. Although cardiac perforation is a rare complication (occuring in roughly 1% of cases) of any pacemaker implant procedure, real-world data suggests that the risk of major complications following cardiac perforation may be higher in patients who receive a Medtronic Micra leadless pacing system versus a traditional transvenous pacemaker. The Medtronic Micra is the only leadless cardiac pacemaker on the U.S. market.
New Robotics Center Coming to Germany
Smith & Nephew plans to build a digital surgery and robotics innovation center in Munich, Germany. Expected to open in late 2022, the new center will bring healthcare professionals from Europe, Middle East, and Africa together with the company's R&D and medical education teams to explore digital surgery and robotics techniques and technologies. At the heart of this will be Real Intelligence, Smith & Nephew's digital ecosystem, including the new robotics-assisted surgical system CORI.
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