MPO’s Most-Read Stories This Week—Oct. 1

MPO website visitors favored all things new this past week, as new products, new investments, new insights, and new facilities drove cybertraffic.

Leading the fresh starts foray was B. Braun Medical Inc.’s acquisition of the Clik-FIX catheter securement portfolio from Starboard Medical, which likely will further the larger firm’s mission to improve patients’ experiences and outcomes with peripheral intravenous (IV) therapy. The deal includes the Clik-FIX Peripheral, Clik-FIX PICC/Central, Clik-FIX Universal, Clik FIX Neonatal PICC, and Clik-FIX Soft PICC/Central product lines.

Molex was next in line, sharing the results of a global survey of design engineering stakeholders to identify market drivers impacting the development of diagnostic wearables that enable patients, caregivers and consumers to monitor and analyze data regarding health status. Survey respondents cited high expectations for consumer use and innovation in wearables for sport and fitness, wellness and medical-monitoring applications. Also identified were regulatory, technology and adoption barriers that must be cleared to fuel advancements of increasingly connected, smaller and more powerful health, fitness and medical-monitoring wearables. 

Xenocor and Masimo amassed pageviews with their new product announcements. Xenocor received FDA clearance for an enhanced version of its Saberscope, an HD, fog-free, articulating, single-use laparoscope. Saberscope aims to improve patient safety and costs by reducing hassles like fog, smoke, and steam, as well as workflow complexity and waste. The new Saberscope features a 5mm camera with 90-degree articulating tip and compact, reusable Xenobox video processor, which works with any HD monitor or existing tower system. It’s cleared for laparoscopic and thoracoscopic surgeries.

Masimo, meanwhile, launched Masimo W1, a first-of-its-kind wrist-worn wearable that collects health data by the second, taking 86,400 daily measurements including oxygen saturation (SpO2) levels, pulse rate, respiration rate, and more, and, in a limited market release, hydration index. Paired via secure Bluetooth to the Masimo Health smartphone app, Masimo W1 provides continuous health data, unlocking meaningful, actionable insights, with high accuracy. Launching alongside the Masimo W1 is Personal SafetyNet, a paid subscription service integrated within the Masimo Health app that gives users access to sophisticated reporting tools to help them review their physiological status over time. 

BD (Becton Dickinson) marked a new beginning as well this past week by opening its new BD Innovation Center, collaborating with University of Maryland BioPark. The innovation center will offer University of Maryland, Baltimore students and researchers state-of-the-art equipment to accelerate diagnostic technology innovation. The center aims to provide tools to streamline clinical lab workflows and boost patient care through expanding diagnostic knowledge, developing new diagnostic capabilities, and providing real-world feedback on early diagnostic concepts.

1. B. Braun Acquires Clik-FIX Catheter Securement From Starboard Medical

2. Molex Shares Survey Results on State of Diagnostic Wearables & the Future Medical Monitoring

3. FDA OKs Xenocor’s Single-Use 5mm Laparoscope With Auto-Focus

4. Masimo Launches Watch That Measures Health Data by the Second

5. BD Opens New Maryland Innovation Center for Diagnostics