News

Hillsborough based InnerOptic has netted FDA approval for its AIM System, a biopsy system for guiding a needle and predicting its path on a monitor.
Called “GPS for needle-based interventions," the technology provides 3D visualization for ultrasound-assisted surgeries including both biopsies and ablations.
To date, AIM has been integrated with ultrasound scanners from BK Medical and Aloka as well as devices from both Halt Medical and Microsulis.
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National Science Foundation (NSF) has reported that North Carolina State University (NC State) will head a national nanotechnology research initiative to develop self-powered devices to monitor people’s health and know the impact of surrounding environment on it.
 
The NSF Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Advanced Self-Powered Systems of Integrated Sensors and Technologies (ASSIST) is a collaborative initiative between NC State and partners, including the University of Virginia, Pennsylvania State University, and Florida International University. The center will be headquartered in the Larry K. Monteith Engineering Research Center located on the Centennial Campus of NC State.
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Advanced Animal Diagnostics (AAD) has won the inaugural Innovation Award at the 2012 Animal Health Investment Forum in Kansas City, Missouri.
The firm was selected from a group of 13 companies that were presenting at the Forum by a panel of industry experts. AAD’s president and chief executive Joy Parr Drach accepted a cheque for $2,500 from Jeff Boily, the president and chief executive of the Center for Animal Health Innovation.
Morrisville, North Carolina-based AAD is currently developing on-farm diagnostic tests. The most advanced of its technology platforms uses differential cell counts to identify white cell blood cell types that have a role in fighting animal infection.
The award was focused on the best presentation carried out by the 13 firms, who were attending the Forum to raise their profiles in the animal health investment community and reach out to potential partners.

Teleflex Inc a provider of medical devices for critical care and surgery, said it has received new Premier agreement for comprehensive line of respiratory products.
The company has been awarded a new group purchasing agreement to supply its comprehensive line of respiratory products with the Premier healthcare alliance.
The three year multi-source agreement is effective November 1, 2012 and extends through October 31, 2015.
Through this agreement, Premier's alliance of 2,600 hospitals will have access to the complete Teleflex respiratory line at exclusive member rates, which includes aerosol and medication delivery, oxygen therapy and ventilation management.
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Teleflex Incorporated, a provider of medical devices for critical care and surgery, has received FDA 510-k clearance for central venous pressure, or CVP, monitoring indication for its ArrowADVANTAGE5 pressure-injectable peripherally inserted central catheter, or PICC.
The change in CVP, correlated with the patient's clinical status, is a useful indication of adequacy of venous blood volume and alterations in cardiovascular function. CVP also reflects the pumping ability of the right atrium and ventricle.
"With the ArrowADVANTAGE5, we offer the next generation of non-coated pressure-injectable PICCs," commented Paul Molloy, president, Vascular Division of Teleflex. "Beyond the unique advantages of our PICC, we are pleased to add the CVP monitoring indication. Additionally, the distal lumen is compatible with the ARROW VPS System, enabling clinicians to combine the advantages of our PICC with state-of-the-art tip location technology."

Teleflex, a global provider of specialty medical devices, announced its launch of a new epidural catheter, the Arrow FlexTip Plus, according to 4-traders.
The multi-port catheter aims to give anesthesia providers more options in drug dispersal during epidural than before.
The FlexTip Plus is coil-reinforced catheter that features a soft closed tip with four lateral holes. The four holes make it a modified version of its predecessor, the FlexTip Plus Single-Port catheter.
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Morrisville-based Advanced Liquid Logic has secured $1 million with $2 million still left to go in its latest round of fundraising.
The equity sum came from a single investment and the goal, according to an SEC filing, is to raise the full sum by the end of the month.
The fundraising is happening as Advanced Liquid Logic prepares to move its diagnostics research into the commercial space. ALL creates what it calls a “lab on a chip,” where a single drop of blood can diagnose a condition.
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Research Triangle Park-based life sciences company Entegrion just netted $1.9 million from the U.S. Office of Naval Research to develop and expand its blood transfusion technology.
Entegrion says in a news release that $825,000 of the sum is earmarked to develop what’s called a Multi-functional Resuscitation Fluid, which is designed to be a safer and readily available alternative to a blood transfusion.
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TranS1 Inc., a pioneer in minimally invasive approaches to lumbar spine surgery, today announced completion of the first head-to-head retrospective study comparing its proprietary AxiaLIF® pre-sacral interbody fusion procedure to ALIF (Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion). There were 48 patients in each arm of the study.
Two independent spine surgeons evaluated 96 total patients at two year or greater follow up with thin slice CT scans. The combined review of both surgeons demonstrated improved fusion rates with AxiaLIF over ALIF but the difference in the rates were not statistically significant. Strict radiographic criteria were employed to determine bridging bone between the vertebral bodies. Further, the AxiaLIF cohort experienced no serious adverse events, compared with the ALIF cohort, which reported two serious adverse events. Ten sites contributed patients to this study

Metabolon, Inc. announces the completion of its acquisition of Lipomics Technologies, Inc. This transaction combines Metabolon's world-leading metabolomics technology platform for commercial services and diagnostics with Lipomics' world-leading TrueMass(R) Profiling lipids technology platform.
Lipomics' laboratory facilities will remain at its headquarters in Sacramento, California, while Metabolon's headquarters and laboratories will remain in Research Triangle Park. Steven M. Watkins, Ph.D., Lipomics' founder, will join Metabolon's executive team as chief technology officer. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
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