Top Story

• Massachusetts trade group opposes tax on device firms
  The Massachusetts Medical Device Industry Council has expressed opposition to House and Senate bills that include a proposal to tax device makers to help pay for health reform and wants an amendment that would lift the tax from the Senate measure, said Thomas J. Sommer, the trade group's president. "We would prefer that there not be a tax ... we're hoping it will be closer to $20 billion," said AdvaMed Senior Executive Vice President David Nexon. The Boston Globe (11/13)

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Business & Market Trends

• Spinal Modulation raises $27.4M in Series C funding
  Spinal Modulation has raised $27.4 million in a new round of funding from Johnson & Johnson Development and other investors. The company will use the money to further develop its spinal cord stimulator used to treat chronic pain. Clinica (subscription required) (11/13)

• Stethoscope with Cardioscan software receives award
  Popular Science has granted the "Innovation of the Year" award to 3M Littmann Electronic Stethoscope Model 3200 with Cardioscan software developed by 3M Health Care and Zargis Medical. The stethoscope uses Bluetooth technology to wirelessly transmit to a computer sound waves from the heart and lungs, while the software helps doctors to detect murmurs or other conditions, said Zargis CEO John Kallassy. Pioneer Press (St. Paul, Minn.) (11/13)

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Science & Health

• New wiring in heart device replacements raise risk of complications
  U.S. researchers found that patients who needed new wiring during surgery to replace pacemakers and other heart devices may be more likely to suffer complications than those who don't need new wiring. U.S. News & World Report/HealthDay News (11/15)

• Experts discuss role of advanced imaging in personalized radiotherapy
  Experts at a radiation oncology meeting discussed how emerging imaging modalities present new avenues for personalized radiotherapy. One expert talked about how researchers are using optical imaging agents based on near-infrared fluorophores to direct surgical resection and identify residual tumor cells, and another touched on the use of PET and MRI in assessing hypoxia for tumor staging. AuntMinnie.com (free registration)/Medical Physics Web (11/13)

Emerging Technologies

• Scientists develop robotic knee device for stoke victims
  Scientists at Northeastern University have invented several robotic devices aimed at helping stroke victims restore function in their limbs, hands and other extremities. One of the technologies they developed is AKROD, a knee device that uses electrorheological fluid to apply a brake on the device. MIT Technology Review (11/13)

• SmartPill's device gets expanded FDA clearance
  The FDA has granted 510(k) clearance to SmartPill to expand the use of its GI Monitoring System in the assessment of colonic transit time for patients who may have chronic constipation. The device, which includes an ingestible capsule equipped with sensors, was previously cleared for use in diagnosing gastroparesis. American City Business Journals/Buffalo, N.Y. (11/13)

• Philips to show imaging, informatics systems at conference
  Philips Healthcare will showcase its product line of various imaging and informatics technologies at an upcoming conference, including the PercuNav system, which provides pre-procedure and intra-procedure images and supports several imaging modalities, such as PET/CT. The company will also show improvements to its iSite PACS, which now features a PET/CT viewer, among other applications. HealthImaging.com (11/13)

• Database of liver proteins could serve as foundation for treatments
  Chinese researchers developed a database of 6,788 proteins produced by genes in the liver after analyzing 10 specimen of liver tissue. They said the database could prove useful in developing therapies for liver conditions. Yahoo!/HealthDay News (11/13)

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Featured Content

Hot Topics

Top five news stories selected by AdvaMed SmartBrief readers in the past week.

• Hamburg says FDA working to address problems at device unit (Reuters)

• Device firms, drugmakers seek changes to House health bill (Bloomberg)

• Stryker to acquire OtisMed, bone-cutting tool for more than $100M (Kalamazoo Gazette (Mich.))

• Beckman CEO: Health reform to result in tiny gains for devices, tests (Reuters)

• Edwards CEO: Devices to face pricing pressure from hospitals (Reuters)

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

Government & Regulatory

• FDA announces 1-year extension for public comments on LASIK devices
  The FDA decided to extend until Nov. 15, 2010, the deadline for public comments on LASIK surgery devices as it tries to find ways to improve "public outreach efforts regarding the safety and effectiveness of LASIK devices," a Federal Register announcement said. The agency concluded the initial period for public comments in September. Clinica (subscription required) (11/13)

AdvaMed News

• Webinar: How Intuitive Surgical reduced failures when coming to market
  Device failure is unacceptable. It takes time, money and delays needed approvals. Look into why certification failure rates are so prominent, and find out how you can improve predictability in the certification assessment process during this Nov. 17 webinar. Register now.

• See AdvaMed-MTLI's schedule of courses
  Don't miss your turn to learn! See AdvaMed-MTLI's schedule of courses here.

Editor's Note

• Do you expect to increase or decrease personnel devoted to legislative, regulatory or reimbursement issues?
  Read Part 2 of the AdvaMed SmartBrief Year-End Report, which will be published on Dec. 15, to find out how your peers are responding.

	Yes, we expect an increase in one or more of those areas.
	No, we are looking to either remain flat or decrease resources in one or more areas.
	We are undecided.

Senior Quality Manager St Jude Medical Little Canada, Minnesota Principal Manufacturing Engineer - CNC St Jude Medical Little Canada, Minnesota Southeast Market Reimbursement Manager Novasys Medical, Inc. Florida Medical Sales Account Manager Avery Dennison Work from home and travel 60% Principal Healthcare Economics Analyst Medtronic, INC Northridge, CA Product Manager, Laparoscopy Gyrus ACMI Southborough, MA Principal Manufacturing Catheter Engineer MedVenture Technology Jeffersonville, Indiana Senior Quality Assurance Engineer Covidien Boulder, CO Director Regulatory Affairs Abbott Medical Optics Santa Ana, CA Sr. Engineering Manager -Laser Systems Abbott Medical Optics Milpitas CA Senior Software Quality Engineer Covidien Carlsbad, CA Director of Marketing- General Surgery Gyrus ACMI Southborough, MA

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Nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm." --Samuel Taylor Coleridge, English poet, critic and philosopher