MedTech News Briefs | January 8th, 2024

Tuesday January 2nd

EQT will acquire Zeus Industrial Products, a leading provider of advanced polymer components, in a deal expected to close in Q1 2024. John Groetelaars, former CEO of Hillrom, will serve as Zeus’ executive chairman upon closing, and EQT plans to support Zeus with investments in additional capacity, R&D, and operational excellence.
Glucotrack has completed the first preclinical study of its implantable continuous blood glucose monitor (CBGM), assessing implant technique and device safety. The study reported a mean absolute relative difference (MARD) of 8.1% at day 30 and 4.5% at day 60, with no significant adverse events, demonstrating safety and accuracy, according to Paul Goode, CEO of GlucoTrack.
Roche is set to acquire London-based LumiraDx, which offers multiple point-of-care tests on a portable device, including an authorized COVID-19 test in the U.S. Roche plans to add LumiraDx’s point-of-care testing system to its diagnostics portfolio, aiming to enhance patient access to timely results in decentralized healthcare settings globally.

Wednesday January 3rd

An international team of researchers, led by scientists from LMU and the Medical University of Vienna, has developed the first-ever international criteria for the standardized imaging of diffuse gliomas using amino acid PET scans, which are more effective than conventional MRI imaging. Known as PET RANO 1.0, these criteria enable the assessment of the success of therapies for malignant brain tumors and provide a foundation for future research and treatment comparisons.
Researchers have developed a brain imaging method that diagnoses mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs), even when conventional MRI scans don’t show structural abnormalities. The technique involves loading gadolinium, a standard MRI contrast agent, into hydrogel-based micropatches attached to immune cells called macrophages, enabling MRI to reveal brain inflammation and improve the diagnosis of mTBIs, which often go undetected by standard imaging methods.
AnX Robotica has received FDA de novo clearance for its AI-assisted endoscopy tool, NaviCam ProScan. The device utilizes a deep learning algorithm, convolutional neural networks (CNNs), to identify and differentiate healthy tissue and abnormal lesions in endoscopy images, offering improved sensitivity and reduced reading time compared to conventional methods.

Thursday January 4th

SpineX has reported positive results from a first-in-human study of its electrical neuromodulation device for cerebral palsy. The patient, a 60-year-old woman, experienced significant functional improvements after eight weeks of using SpineX’s Spinal Cord Innovation in Pediatrics (SCiP) therapy, achieving a Minimal Clinically Important Difference (MCID) score of five points and gaining activities such as kneeling, sitting, and walking functions.
TekniPlex Healthcare has acquired Seisa Medical, a medical device manufacturer based in El Paso, Texas. The acquisition enhances TekniPlex Healthcare’s materials science and process technologies for minimally invasive and interventional therapy devices globally, making it a full-fledged contract development manufacturing organization in the medical materials science space.
CMR Surgical reported a record number of installations for its Versius surgical robot in the fourth quarter of 2023, with the global install base ending the year more than 50% higher than in 2022. The company aims to introduce new technologies, including improvements in vision, instrumentation, and digital features, to support Versius utilization in 2024.

Friday January 5th

Nanowear has updated its Simplesense wearable medical device with software, Simplesense-BP, that estimates systolic and diastolic blood pressure, allowing clinicians to remotely assess patients without using a cuff to capture data after an initial traditional blood pressure measurement. The company validated the technology’s accuracy in four categories of hypertension, meeting the International Organization for Standardization’s criteria.
Cardionomic has completed patient enrollment in two pilot studies, STIM-ADHF and STOP-ADHF, assessing its cardiac pulmonary nerve stimulation (CPNS) system in patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). The studies aim to evaluate the safety, performance, and efficacy of the CPNS system, with results expected to be published in early 2024.
Aptar Digital Health and Gerresheimer are collaborating to connect their respective platforms for remote patient monitoring and drug delivery. The integration aims to enhance treatment adherence and clinical outcomes, starting with targeted anti-cancer therapies and potential expansion to other therapeutic areas in the future.

Sources:

ThinkMedTek