Diagnostics & Imaging Week articles from June 2007

Diagnostics & Imaging Week archives from June 2007

Qiagen to acquire Digene via cash and stock deal worth $1.6 billion.(Major consolidation continue in the diagnostics sector)
June 7, 2007... Big consolidations in the diagnostics sector continued this past week with Qiagen (Venlo, the Netherlands), a maker of genetic testing equipment, reporting over the weekend that it will acquire Digene (Gaithersburg, Maryland) and Inverness...

IMI extends buying spree with $326.3m Cholestech purchase.(Major consolidation continue in the diagnostics sector)
June 7, 2007... Rapid diagnostics maker Inverness Medical Innovations (IMI; Waltham, Massachusetts) continued its recent buying spree with a report that it has agreed to acquire Cholestech (Hayward, California) in a stock-for-stock exchange deal valued at...

DexCom's Seven is next step in continuous glucose monitoring.
June 7, 2007... DexCom (San Diego) reported late last week that it has received FDA approval for Seven, a seven-Day STS Continuous Glucose Monitoring System. Seven is the company's second-generation device in the continuous glucose monitoring...

Advanced imaging may soon allow 'preemption' of disease.(NIH symposium)
June 7, 2007... BETHESDA, Maryland -- We've heard of "personalized" medicine. More recently, it's been called "predictive" medicine. And we can now add a new synonym for the type of medicine that hopes to look into the cellular and genetic crystal balls to...

New lawsuits begin to add up alleging imaging agent injuries.(Court report)
June 7, 2007... The mother of a 24-year-old Norwalk, Ohio, man who died in 2004, shortly after receiving his second injection of the drug Magnevist, has filed a lawsuit against Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals (Wayne, New Jersey), a business of Bayer (Berlin),...

European Commission awards 12.9m [euro] for COBRED effort.(International report)
June 7, 2007... The COBRED consortium reported that the EU Commission has awarded a 2.9 million [euro] ($3.9 million) grant as part of the 6th Framework Program to the COBRED project coordinated by BioSystems International (Evry, France). The COBRED...

European patent to Ciphergen.(International report)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... Ciphergen Biosystems (Fremont, California) said the European Patent Office has issued EU Patent No. 1 354 203, titled "Biomarkers of Transitional Cell Carcinoma of the Bladder," for aiding in bladder cancer diagnosis when used in conjunction...

China distribution accord for AMDL.(International report)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... AMDL (Tustin, California), which has operations in Shenzhen, Jiangxi and Jilin, China, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Jade Pharmaceutical (JPI), said that Jade, through its JJB subsidiary, has signed new distribution and agency agreements...

Bridgetech, ValiRx in accord.(International report)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... Bridgetech Holdings International (San Diego), whose focus is on "maximizing the potential of emerging healthcare products and services in the U.S. and Asian markets," said it has signed a strategic alliance agreement with ValiRx, a UK...

Prize-winning Robopsy poised for lung biopsy improvement.
June 7, 2007... Certainly, it's a large understatement to describe the standard lung cancer biopsy as inconvenient, not particularly patient-friendly. Extremely unpleasant doesn't even tell the whole story. The thought of having a needle stuck in your...

Cedara offering software that automates orthopedic plans.
June 7, 2007... As the population ages, more and more people in the Baby Boomer generation are utilizing orthopedic surgery to keep their bodies in top operation longer, taking advantage of new technologies to do just that. And new orthopedic technologies are...

Anazao Health wins allowance for cancer radiopharma agent.(Patent watch)
June 7, 2007... AnazaoHealth (Tampa, Florida) said that it patent will be issued for a Stabilized and Lyophilized Radiopharmaceutical Agent to the company. The invention being patented relates to the method of preparation and stabilization of a diagnostic or...

Fujirebio Diagnostics.(Patent watch)
June 7, 2007... Fujirebio Diagnostics (Malvern, Pennsylvania), a cancer diagnostics company, said that it has received notification of allowance for the first of a family of patents for its HE4 biomarker. Covering the measurement of HE4 and antibodies to...

Imperial College provides funds to BC for POC AIDS monitoring.(Grants/contracts)
June 7, 2007... Beckman Coulter (BC; Fullerton, California) has been awarded a grant by the Imperial College London to develop a point-of-care (POC) test for monitoring CD4 lymphocytes in patients with HIV/AIDS, needed in resource-poor countries like...

Merge Healthcare (Milwaukee), a medical imaging software and services provider, reported several new contracts for Fusion RIS/PACS MX, a solution for clinical and business imaging workflow.(Contract news)
June 7, 2007... Merge Healthcare (Milwaukee), a medical imaging software and services provider, reported several new contracts for Fusion RIS/PACS MX, a solution for clinical and business imaging workflow, released in April. They include: Atlanta...

Emergency Medical Services (Greenwood Village, Colorado) reported that its EmCare business has entered into new agreements to provide radiology staffing and services.(Contract news)
June 7, 2007... Emergency Medical Services (Greenwood Village, Colorado) reported that its EmCare business has entered into new agreements to provide radiology staffing and services for two healthcare systems. EmCare's radiology services operation, RadCare...

Immunicon to end agreement with Veridex, cites contract breach.(Agreements)
June 7, 2007... Immunicon (Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania) reported that it is seeking to end its exclusive arrangement with Veridex (Warren, New Jersey), a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson (New Brunswick, New Jersey). In a demand filed with the American...

Home Access Health (Hoffman Estates, Illinois), a personalized diagnostics company, said it has entered into a multi-year relationship with the American Diabetes Association (ADA; Alexandria, Virginia) to increase the prevention and detection of "cardiometabolic" risk factors, which pose a danger to good health and can lead to the development of Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.(Agreements)
June 7, 2007... Home Access Health (Hoffman Estates, Illinois), a personalized diagnostics company, said it has entered into a multi-year relationship with the American Diabetes Association (ADA; Alexandria, Virginia) to increase the prevention and detection...

Cholestech (Hayward, California), a provider of alternate site health management solutions for chronic disease, said it has teamed up with Onsite Health Diagnostics (Southlake, Texas), a provider of on-site corporate health screenings.(Agreements)
June 7, 2007... Cholestech (Hayward, California), a provider of alternate site health management solutions for chronic disease, said it has teamed up with Onsite Health Diagnostics (Southlake, Texas), a provider of on-site corporate health screenings. The...

Enzo Biochem (New York) reported that its subsidiary, Enzo Life Sciences, has agreed to acquire Axxora Life Sciences.(Major consolidations continue in the diagnostics sector)
June 7, 2007... Enzo Biochem (New York) reported that its subsidiary, Enzo Life Sciences, has agreed to acquire Axxora Life Sciences (San Diego), a private manufacturer of life science research products, for about $16.3 million in cash. Upon completion of...

Quest Diagnostics (Lyndhurst, New Jersey), a provider of diagnostic testing, reported that it plans to complete its previously disclosed $2 billion acquisition of AmeriPath (Palm Beach Gardens, Florida) today.(Major consolidations continue in the diagnostics sector)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... Quest Diagnostics (Lyndhurst, New Jersey), a provider of diagnostic testing, reported that it plans to complete its previously disclosed $2 billion acquisition of AmeriPath (Palm Beach Gardens, Florida) today. The waiting period under the...

Quest Diagnostics (Lyndhurst, New Jersey), one of the nation's largest providers of diagnostics testing, information and services.(Major consolidations continue in the diagnostics sector)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... Quest Diagnostics (Lyndhurst, New Jersey), one of the nation's largest providers of diagnostics testing, information and services, reported the determination of pricing in connection with its cash tender offer and consent solicitation for any...

HealthSouth.(HealthSouth Corp. to sell 200,000 square-foot headquarters campus building)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... HealthSouth (Birmingham, Alabama) reported that it will sell its corporate campus in Birmingham. The campus consists of a 200,000 square-foot headquarters building, the 85-acre corporate campus on which the headquarters sits, and a...

eXegenics (d.b.a. Opko Health; Miami, Florida) has agreed to acquire Ophthalmic Technologies (OTI; Toronto).(Major consolidations continue in the diagnostics sector)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... eXegenics (d.b.a. Opko Health; Miami, Florida) has agreed to acquire Ophthalmic Technologies (OTI; Toronto), a private company providing eye care imaging systems. Opko purchased one-third of the common shares of the company and received an...

HealthSouth.(Court report)
June 7, 2007... Richard Scrushy, founder and former head of rehabilitation conglomerate HealthSouth (Birmingham, Alabama), is claiming that a tough sentencing in a case of political bribery is the result of his being acquitted last year in the case involving...

AcroMetrix.(Product Briefs)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... AcroMetrix (Benicia, California) said that it has received FDA clearance for the VeriSure Pro HBV DNA external quality control. This control is for use on Chiron's procleix ultrio assay for the detection of HBV DNA using nucleic acid...

Bruker Daltonics.(Product Briefs)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... Bruker Daltonics (Indianapolis, Indiana) launched its ImagePrep sample preparation device for automated matrix deposition onto tissue slices at the 55th ASMS Conference on Mass Spectrometry. MALDI mass imaging of tissue samples with Bruker's...

Digirad.(Product Briefs)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... Digirad (Poway, California) reported the introduction nSPEED, an advanced three dimensional SPECT image reconstruction technique. This algorithm provides the clinicians with significant image quality improvement over existing 2-D reconstruction...

FASgen.(Product Briefs)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... FASgen (Baltimore, Maryland) said it has expanded the potential use for its serum FAS (fatty acid synthase) ELISA diagnostic research test, FAS-Detect ELISA for the identification of Non-Alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The current diagnostic...

FONAR.(Product Briefs)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... FONAR (Melville, New York) reported that the April 23, 2007, issue of the Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging featured an article entitled "Upright MRI of glenohumeral dysplasia following obstetric brachial plexus injury." The study evaluated...

Quidel.(People in Places)
June 7, 2007... Mark Paiz will resign as the COO of Quidel (San Diego), effective Aug. 31. The company said it will not continue with the role of COO but will pursue a "commercial operations lead." Quidel is a developer of point-of-care diagnostics.

SunTech Medical.(People in Places)
June 7, 2007... Paul Goldenberg was named sales manager of medical-surgical sales for SunTech Medical (Mooresville, North Carolina). Most recently, Goldenberg was the president/ CEO of Midlantic Medical. SunTech manufactures non-invasive blood pressure...

Toshiba America Medical Systems.(People in Places)
June 7, 2007... Jeff Howorth has been named VP, strategic business group, for Toshiba America Medical Systems (Tustin, California). Most recently, Howorth was zone VP, strategic business for Philips Medical Systems. Toshiba America sells and services...

Vidacare.(People in Places)(Jullette Saussy named medical director)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... Jullette Saussy, MD, has been named medical director of Vidacare (San Antonio, Texas). Saussy has served in multiple EMS leadership positions for the City of New Orleans, including as the director and medical director of EMS and medical...

Research team unveils 1st-ever PET/MRI scans of human head.(Society of Nuclear Medicine 2007)
June 14, 2007... WASHINGTON -- The emphasis on molecular medicine continues unabated, as a recent session at the National Institutes of Health clearly demonstrates. And a number of the presentations at the 54th annual meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine...

MTI licenses NASA software for detecting signs of heart disease.
June 14, 2007... Ask Gary Thompson what attracted his company, Medical Technologies International (MTI; Palm Desert, California), to license software developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL; Pasadena, California) and he'll first give you the short...

Exact Sciences, NorDiag enter into collaboration on CRC.(colorectal cancer screening)
June 14, 2007... Exact Sciences (Marlborough, Massachusetts) and NorDiag (Oslo, Norway) said they have entered into a collaboration and a nonexclusive license agreement to develop and commercialize colorectal cancer (CRC) screening technologies outside the U.S....

New plant for Affymetrix in Singapore.(International report)
June 14, 2007... Affymetrix (Santa Clara, California), has officially opened its manufacturing facility in Singapore. The new building is Affymetrix's first manufacturing facility outside of the U.S., enabling the company to better serve and support its growing...

PreMD aims for broad screening claim with cholesterol skin test.
June 14, 2007... PreMD (Toronto), a predictive medicine company, is seeking FDA 510(k) approval of an expanded claim for its skin cholesterol test, Prevu, thus offering the possibility of a test in the U.S. that would cost no more than a blood test for LDL...

BodyMedia's SenseWear system shows better weight loss results.
June 14, 2007... BodyMedia (Pittsburgh is touting study results for its metabolic assessment and behavioral therapy solution, SenseWear, which shows for the first time that the device can improve treatment outcomes when physicians incorporate it into weight...

Acacia, CombiMatrix set to split; MedCath unit enters joint-venture.(Deals roundup)
June 14, 2007... Acacia Research (Newport Beach, California) and CombiMatrix (Mukilteo, Washington) reported that on June 8, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) declared the effectiveness of CombiMatrix's S-1 registration statement. Following the...

SuperArray Bioscience (Fredrick, Maryland) reported that it has entered into a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) license agreement with Applied Biosystems (AB; Foster City, California).(Deals roundup)
June 14, 2007... SuperArray Bioscience (Fredrick, Maryland) reported that it has entered into a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) license agreement with Applied Biosystems (AB; Foster City, California). Under the agreement, SuperArray will develop, manufacture...

deCODE genetics.(Deals roundup)
June 14, 2007... deCODE genetics (Reykjavik, Iceland) reported that it has completed a sale and leaseback of its Woodridge, Illinois medicinal chemistry facility. The company sold the facility for $25 million and has entered into a lease with an initial term of...

Singulex raises private $19.1m; Acusphere raises $20 million.(Financings roundup)(Financial report)
June 14, 2007... Singulex (Hayward, California) reported that it has raised $19.1 million in a private financing led by OrbiMed Advisors and joined by existing investors, Fisk Ventures, Prolog Ventures and Advantage Capital. The company said the financing...

NeoGenomics.(Financings roundup)(Financial report)
June 14, 2007... NeoGenomics (Ft Myers, Florida) reported that a group of investors has purchased $4 million of common stock from NeoGenomics in a private transaction. The transaction was priced at $1.50 per share and resulted in 2.67 million shares of new...

SeraCare Life Sciences.(SeraCare Life Sciences Inc. goes for three-year credit and security agreement with Merrill Lynch Business Financial Services)(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... SeraCare Life Sciences (SRLS; Oceanside, California) reported that it has entered into a three-year credit and security agreement, with Merrill Lynch Capital, a division of Merrill Lynch Business Financial Services, as a lender and as the...

Siemens' MRI/PET technology a 'big step' in diagnostic imaging.
June 14, 2007... If the development of a computed tomography/positron emission tomography (CT/PET) imaging system was a small step for diagnostic imaging, a system capable of performing simultaneously MRI and PET is a giant leap, according to Wilfried Loeffler,...

Clarity Imaging International.(Financings roundup)(Company overview)(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... Clarity Imaging International (Austin, Texas) said its board has authorized a 3-for-1 forward split of its common stock, part of its program to improve its equity structure, it said. "Clarity is entering into a strong growth phase and has...

Quest signs multi-year contract extension with CIGNA HealthCare.(Contracts)
June 14, 2007... Quest Diagnostics (Lyndhurst, New Jersey), a provider of diagnostic testing, information and services, said it has signed a multi-year contract extension with CIGNA HealthCare (Philadelphia) and will remain a participating provider in all...

Sagemark imaging centers accredited.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... The Sagemark Companies (New York) reported that all of its imaging centers have received accreditation by the American College of Radiology (ACR). "We are delighted that each of our imaging centers has met the strict standards of the...

Aurora Imaging creates Breast MRI Society.(Briefly Noted)
June 14, 2007... As manufacturer of the only FDA-cleared MRI system specifically designed for breast imaging, Aurora Imaging Technology (North Andover, Massachusetts) has taken the lead on supporting breast radiologists and advancing the role of dedicated...

Misonix.(Sonablate 500 from Misonix Inc.)(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... Misonix (Farmingdale, New York), reported the acceleration of patient enrollment relating to the FDA clinical trials for the Sonablate 500, a medical device using high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for non-invasive treatment of prostate...

NOVX Systems.(Product Briefs)
June 14, 2007... NOVX Systems (Toronto) received clearance from the FDA to market iMDx system for point-of-care screening for drugs of abuse. NOVX provides drug screening solution that allows on-site screening and real-time access to results. When paired with...

Nuance Communications.(Product Briefs)
June 14, 2007... Nuance Communications (Providence, Rhode Island) reported the availability of PowerScribe workstation 4.8, a speech recognition reporting solution for radiology. PowerScribe 4.8 delivers enhanced functionality including new features based on...

Paradigm Medical Industries.(Paradigm Medical Industries Inc. introduces P60 ultrasound biomicroscope )(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... Paradigm Medical Industries (Salt Lake City) reported the introduction and release of a new software package for the P60 ultrasound biomicroscope (UBM). The software uses greater image resolution, a database management system and networking...

Acuo Technologies.(Acuo Technologies appoints Michael Simon )(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... Acuo Technologies (St. Paul, Minnesota) reported the appointment of Michael Simon to further drive business development efforts "Powered by Acuo." Simon was most recently a global sales manager with EMC. Acuo develops grid software for...

Sigma-Aldrich.(Sigma-Aldrich Corp. introduces PhosDecor fluorescent phosphoprotein in-gel detection kit)(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... Sigma-Aldrich (St. Louis) reports the launch of the PhosDecor fluorescent phosphoprotein in-gel detection kit, a sensitive and selective tool for the identification of phosphorylated proteins. The PhosDecor kit includes a phosphate specific...

Swissray International.(People in Places)(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... Swissray International (Elizabeth, New Jersey) reported receiving FDA clearance for its ddRCompact sSeries of DR systems. The system was specifically designed to meet the needs of certain markets such as orthopedics, smaller hospitals, imaging...

Verathon.(People in Places)(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... Verathon (Bothell, Washington) reported the introduction of the GlideScope Cobalt, a single-use video laryngoscope that provides a real-time view of the patient's airway, enabling quick intubation. GlideScope video laryngoscopes (GVL) provide a...

Groups develop 'appropriate' criteria for cardiac ultrasound.(American Society of Echocardiography meeting)(Report)
June 21, 2007... In an effort to ensure quality cardiac ultrasound imaging and to avoid unnecessary use of the technology, the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE; Raleigh, North Carolina) and the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF;...

CAD diagnosis made in women best done via stress echo test.(American Society of Echocardiography meeting)
June 21, 2007... Research released this week at the annual conference of the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE; Raleigh, North Carolina) reports that stress echocardiography, a heart ultrasound performed during stress testing, is a more accurate method...

Italy launches pilot program for cervical cancer screening.(International report)
June 21, 2007... Digene (Gaithersburg, Maryland) reported that Italy has become the first country to launch a government-sponsored cervical cancer screening program using the HPV test as a frontline diagnostic tool, followed by Pap test cytology for women who...

MIT team using force imaging to detect, map VEGF receptors.(American Society of Echocardiography meeting)
June 21, 2007... Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT; Cambridge) have come up with a novel approach to obtaining images of the incredibly minute--and incredibly important--features of cell surfaces, but they are not relying on photons...

ISS recommends $600 million Roche acquisition of BioVeris.(Deals roundup)
June 21, 2007... The influential proxy advisory service Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS; Rockville, Maryland) has recommended that BioVeris (Gaithersburg, Maryland) shareholders vote for the company's pending $600 million merger with Roche (Basel,...

SafeMed.(Deals roundup)(Brief article)
June 21, 2007... Hicks Holdings (Dallas), a family-owned private investment enterprise headed by Thomas Hicks, reported that it has acquired a 40% stake in SafeMed (San Diego), a provider of clinical decision support systems. The investment, financial...

Bucher new associate director of NTP, toxicology unit of NIH.(Brief article)
June 21, 2007... John Bucher, PhD, a toxicologist at the National Toxicology Program (NTP; Research Park, North Carolina) for the past 24 years, has been named its new associate director. NTP, an inter-agency program established to conduct and coordinate...

F&S to get $25m investment; Quest to offer $800m in notes.(Financings roundup)
June 21, 2007... Franklin & Seidelmann Subspecialty Radiology (F&S; Cleveland) reported that it will receive a $25 million investment from Oak Investment Partners. The company said the investment will be used to expand its product offerings, improve its...

Aspect Medical Systems.(Financings roundup)
June 21, 2007... Aspect Medical Systems (Norwood, Massachusetts) reported that it has priced its previously disclosed private placement of $110 million principal amount of 2.5% convertible senior notes, due 2014, to qualified institutional buyers. Aspect...

Response Biomedical files for 510(k) for influenza A+B test.
June 21, 2007... A collaboration between Response Biomedical (Burnaby, British Columbia) and 3M (Minneapolis) established last December to develop tests for infectious disease may have its first product on the market by the 2007-2008 flu season. Response...

Revolutions Medical files four utility patents for MRI software.(Patent watch)
June 21, 2007... Revolutions Medical (Mount Pleasant, South Carolina) reported that Lowrie, Lando, and Anastasi, has successfully filed, on its behalf, four utility patents focused on its MRI imaging software technology. These patents were based on the...

DiaGenic's 'simple' blood test is aimed at early AD detection.(Dementia prevention conference)
June 21, 2007... Those involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD) research believe that accurate early diagnosis would enable the new generation of drugs to be successfully administered in the first stages of the disease. Scientists from DiaGenic (Oslo, Norway)...

Cambridge Heart tweaks pact with St. Jude for HearTwave II MTWA.(Agreements roundup)
June 21, 2007... Cambridge Heart (Bedford, Massachusetts) said it has amended its sales and marketing agreement with St. Jude Medical (St. Paul, Minnesota). St. Jude's sales force now will be able to market Cambridge Heart's HearTwave II Microvolt T-Wave...

CompleWare (North Liberty, Iowa), VIDA Diagnostics (Coralville, Iowa) and the University of Iowa (Iowa City) reported that they will collaborate in providing software and services to manage radiological images for clinical drug trials.(Agreements roundup)
June 21, 2007... CompleWare (North Liberty, Iowa), VIDA Diagnostics (Coralville, Iowa) and the University of Iowa (Iowa City) reported that they will collaborate in providing software and services to manage radiological images for clinical drug trials. The...

Luna Innovations (Roanoke, Virginia) said that it has entered into an IP licensing, development, and supply agreement with Intuitive Surgical (Sunnyvale, California).(Agreements roundup)(Brief article)
June 21, 2007... Luna Innovations (Roanoke, Virginia) said that it has entered into an IP licensing, development, and supply agreement with Intuitive Surgical (Sunnyvale, California). Luna will develop and supply its fiber optic-based shape sensing and position...

NCRR gives $20.65m for 14 HEI grants for biomedical equipment.(Grants/contracts)
June 21, 2007... The National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), a part of the National Institutes of Health, said it will provide $20.65 million for 14 High-End Instrumentation (HEI) grants that will fund cutting-edge equipment required to advance...

3-D system used in videothoracoscopic surgery.(International report)
June 21, 2007... Viking Systems (San Diego) said its 3Di Vision System had been used for the first time to perform videothoracoscopic surgery. Three procedures--a parietal pleurectomy, a sublobar resection and a chemical pleurodesis--were performed with the 3-D...

Virtual colonoscopy products released.(International report)(Brief article)
June 21, 2007... Viatronix (Stony Brook, New York), a developer of diagnostic 3-D imaging software, and Medicsight (London), a developer of computer-aided detection (CAD) technologies, reported the European commercial release of their integrated "virtual...

GE providing FFDM units in Ireland.(full-field digital mammography )(Brief article)
June 21, 2007... GE Healthcare (Chalfont St. Giles, UK) reported supplying full-field digital mammography (FFDM) units to BreastCheck, part of the Irish National Cancer Screening Service (Dublin). Ireland will become one of the first countries in Europe to...

deCODE reaches 'favorable' settlement in dispute with CHOP.(Court report)
June 21, 2007... deCODE genetics (Reykjavik, Iceland) said it has reached a favorable settlement of its litigation in Federal District Court in Philadelphia with the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and several former deCODE employees who left the...

BodyMedia.(Product Briefs)
June 21, 2007... BodyMedia (Pittsburgh) said it has released version 6.1 of the SenseWear software for its clinical customers and their patients. The SenseWear 6.1 software is compatible with the SenseWear wearable display device and has improved algorithms...

Combe.(Product Briefs)(Brief article)
June 21, 2007... Combe (White Plains, New York) reported that The Vagisil Screening Kit For Vaginal Infections--an inhome screening kit--is now available. The Vagisil Screening Kit is intended for use by women who are experiencing itching, burning, unpleasant...

Ethicon Endo-Surgery.(Product Briefs)(Brief article)
June 21, 2007... Ethicon Endo-Surgery (Cincinnati) reported the launch of the Universal Mammotome MR biopsy system, its MRI breast biopsy device that has all the features of the company's first Mammotome MR and is compatible with a wider variety of breast coils...

Fluidigm.(Product Briefs)(Brief article)
June 21, 2007... Fluidigm (South San Francisco) has achieved a first in microfluidics--a matrix chip architecture that enables both a high density of experiments (2,304 per chip) and effective mixing of nano-volume scale fluids. This new chip will allow...

SACS Medical.(Product Briefs)(Brief article)
June 21, 2007... SACS Medical (Gothenburg, Sweden) reported it has been granted FDA 510(k) clearance. The clearance is for SACS Medical's system for medical signal handling, which can handle EEG signals, among others. The system is used by specialist clinics to...