Device Area

The US FDA has announced seven device safety actions in recent days. The most serious, which relates to a manufacturing defect in Boston Scientific’s Accolade pacemaker, has been linked to 832 injuries and two deaths.

Boston Scientific has entered the multi-billion hypertension treatment market with the acquisition of Israel-based startup SoniVie, developer of the TIVUS intravascular ultrasound system for the treatment of high blood pressure by artery nerve ablation.

Royal Philips has taken a “significant step” in advancing live-data analytics in clinical practice in a new collaboration with US Mass General Brigham. The parties will leverage software platforms to unify EMR, lab and bedside medical devices data.

Boston Scientific has integrated cardiac mapping and pulsed field ablation into a single catheter with the newly EU-approved Farawave Nav Ablation Catheter. Faraview Software also receives CE marking, allowing for visualization of catheter placement when delivering therapy.

The US FDA has announced seven device safety actions in recent days. The most serious, which relates to a manufacturing defect in Boston Scientific’s Accolade pacemaker, has been linked to 832 injuries and two deaths.

EU regulators have approved a strategy to streamline the submission and approval of studies that involve the simultaneous investigation of a medicinal product, an IVD, and/or a medical device. The strategy involves rolling out seven cross-sector projects over the next few years.

This week, a medical group sued the FDA to block a lab-developed test rule; the FDA published guidance on device classifications; Defibtec issued a recall of its chest compression device and ICU Medical updated instructions for its infusion pump batteries; Maui Imaging raised a $4m DOD grant to put imaging tech into military-based trauma units.

The US FDA has published draft guidance for predetermined change control plans for medical devices along with recommendations for sponsors including them in marketing submissions to the agency.

Even if manufacturing challenges don’t derail the 2025 launch plans, the regulatory setback introduces new challenges for Dexcom’s continuous glucose monitors at a time when competition from Abbott and Medtronic is intensifying.

Abbott’s international sales could be a key driver as firm looks to partnerships with insulin pump companies.

Tempering expectations on the immediate market impact for the upgraded continuous glucose monitor, Dexcom notes insurance coverage and pump integrations will take time to finalize.

Abbott is now offering its consumer CGM Lingo at Amazon for $49 for a single sensor. Its rival Dexcom also expects to introduce its consumer CGM Stelo on Amazon in Q1.

Barcelona-based accelerator S2 Xpeed is driving the rapid growth of medtech and hardware start-ups in Europe. Operating under a "sweat equity" model, the program helps early-stage companies move from prototype to manufacturing readiness in exchange for equity. This month, the accelerator will add a fourth cohort of 10 more start-ups, five of which are in the medtech space.

Medtech Insight sat down with Anja Streicher, chief marketing officer at Women of Wearables, a global community offering events and education resources to support the femtech industry, to discuss trends in the women's wearables tech market, challenges and innovators pushing the boundaries.

Siemens Healthineers is banking on new treatment-changing paradigms in coronary artery disease, pancreatic cancer and brain aneurysms from early adopters at academic medical centers to help drive more widespread adoption.

The US FDA's clearance of QP-Prostate CAD positions the company to support US health care providers and growing markets for fusion biopsy and focal therapy, said Quibim CEO and founder Angel Alberich-Bayarri.

For the fourth time in as many years the FDA has issued a communication concerning a key accessory from Olympus used in several types of urological procedures. This time, however, the agency has added a class I recall confirmation to its original early alert on the device issued in December 2024. A device safety specialist provided Medtech Insight with a deeper understanding of the problem as well as overall scope safety.

The director of the US FDA’s device center is sounding the alarm on the scarcity of critical devices for pediatric patients and says the agency is focused on solutions to this “unique” challenge.

The US FDA has issued its first communication as part of a new pilot program the agency initiated to increase transparency in recalls of high-risk medical devices. The early alerts are meant to minimize the time between the FDA finding out about a potential issue and informing stakeholders.

Genetic Analysis CEO Ronny Hermansen and Christina Casén, senior VP of clinical and medical affairs, discuss the company’s polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based approach to gut microbiota profiling versus DNA sequencing, competitive landscape, and opportunities for supporting pharma R&D and assessing drug treatment success.

Barcelona-based accelerator S2 Xpeed is driving the rapid growth of medtech and hardware start-ups in Europe. Operating under a "sweat equity" model, the program helps early-stage companies move from prototype to manufacturing readiness in exchange for equity. This month, the accelerator will add a fourth cohort of 10 more start-ups, five of which are in the medtech space.

The company is recalling Pipeline Vantage 021 and 027 models because they pose a higher than normal risk of failing to properly attach to blood vessel walls, which can cause thrombosis, stroke or death. The recall for 027 is a product removal and for 021 is an update to the instructions for use.

A new study by AcuityMD, presented at AAOS 2025, highlights the continued shift of spinal surgeries to the outpatient setting, with state-by-state variability in ASC adoption. While hospitals still dominate spinal procedures, advancements in minimally invasive techniques and medical technologies are major drivers of spinal surgeries in the ASC setting.

Dublin-based Neuromod has closed a €10m ($10.9m) series B funding round to bring a "new standard of care" to patients with tinnitus.