Medical Devices

An experimental circular disc with tiny reservoirs releases medication slowly. Then the disc dissolves.

Dissolving Contact Lenses Could Make Eye Drops Disappear

11:57am February 23, 2015

by Alison Bruzek

Eye drops are unpleasant, and they don't do a great job of delivering medication to the eye. A superthin wafer that slowly dispenses medication and then dissolves is a promising replacement.

Dr. Margaret Hamburg will have served almost six years as FDA commissioner by the time she leaves, far longer than the recent tenure for chiefs of the agency.

Health & Safety

FDA Commissioner Hamburg Grappled With Global Challenges

6:31pm February 05, 2015

by Richard Harris

Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret Hamburg says she'll leave the job at the end of March after six years in the spotlight and controversies over Plan B emergency contraception.

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Electrical impulses generated by a pacemaker-like device are transmitted to the vagus nerve by electrodes.

A Weight-Loss Device Aims To Curb Hunger By Zapping A Nerve

11:56am January 16, 2015

by Alison Bruzek

A surgically implanted device similar to a pacemaker gained FDA approval after showing some weight loss in people who are obese. But people in a study who had sham devices lost weight, too.

When should a patient in dire condition be allowed to try an experimental treatment?

Health & Safety

More States Adopt Laws To Ease Access To Experimental Treatments

12:00pm November 19, 2014

by Michelle Andrews

While several states have approved so-called right-to-try measures that aim to give patients with life-threatening illnesses access to unapproved drugs, drugmakers don't have to comply.

The slide on the right has been treated with a coating that repels blood.

Slippery When Coated: Helping Medical Devices Prevent Blood Clots

8:13am October 13, 2014

by Joe Palca

When blood flows over an artificial surface, whether it's an implanted pacemaker or tubing for a dialysis machine, there's an increased risk that a dangerous clot will form.

Joe Kiani, addresses the second-annual Patient Safety, Science & Technology Summit in January 2014.

Health & Safety

Medical Company May Be Falling Short Of Its Patient Safety Ideals

10:00am October 06, 2014

Masimo Corporation's chief executive is a leading voice in the movement to reduce medical errors, but the Food and Drug Administration says his company isn't properly investigating complaints.

Health & Safety

5 Things We Learned From New Database Of Payments To Doctors

11:45am October 02, 2014

by Charles Ornstein

Royalty and licensing payments accounted for almost a third of the amount paid to doctors by drug and device companies. The total exceeded the amount spent on speeches, consulting and meals.

Proton beam therapy can precisely target tumors to avoid harming surrounding tissue, advocates say.

Health & Safety

Insurers Cautious As Proton Beam Cancer Therapy Gains Popularity

10:04am September 25, 2014

by Michelle Andrews

Supporters of the controversial, high-priced treatment say routine coverage would help propel research that would support its use. Skeptics say that approach is backward.

The company Proteus has developed a computer that attaches to a pill and tracks the pill's absorption into the body. The technology has passed clinical trials.

Health & Safety

Someday Soon You May Swallow A Computer With Your Pill

9:24am June 20, 2014

by Alexis Madrigal

Fresh Air tech contributor Alexis Madrigal explains how a tiny computer attaches to a pill you ingest to record how your body responds. It sounds crazy, he says, but it was approved by the FDA.

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Patients sit with their eyes bandaged at an Aravind Eye Care clinic in Madurai, India after cataract surgeries. Aravind performs more than 300,000 cataract surgeries annually.

One Man's Quest To Make Medical Technology Affordable To All

2:47pm July 03, 2013

by John Ydstie

David Green says capitalism practiced with empathy is the right way to make health care available to the masses. The social entrepreneur is working on medical devices and services that can make a difference in the developing world.

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