MPO’s Most-Read Stories This Week—Jan. 14

New year, new beginnings.

MPO website visitors favored stories with a novel angle this week, selecting items about new products, a new facility, and new business.

Cybersurfers were most interested in Schott’s new facility in Phoenix for developing and manufacturing diagnostics and life science consumables. The nearly 40,000-square-foot facility, comprising of clean room, high volume manufacturing of microarrays and microfluidic devices, allows the company to onshore critical manufacturing, supporting the U.S. government’s renewed interest in reshoring and revitalizing American manufacturing to secure critical domestic supply chains.

Xander and Withings amassed page views with their new products at CES 2023, while Baxter drove traffic with its spinoff announcement. 

Early-stage startup Xander gave the world a sneak peek during CES 2023 at its smart glasses for the deaf and hard of hearing. Using Vuzix Corporation’s Vuzix Blade, the company’s XanderGlasses displays real-time captions of in-person conversations to help people with hearing loss. XanderGlasses are designed to be used like a simple “on” and “off” device. They work anywhere people need them; in this augmented reality experience, captions are displayed seamlessly right in the field of view of the wearer.

Withings, meanwhile, unveiled U-Scan, a miniaturized health lab that hygienically sits within any toilet bowl to unlock a wealth of health information in daily urine. U-Scan features a technologically advanced pebble-shaped reader and changeable analysis cartridges designed to assess specific biomarkers without the need for external sample capture or strips. With a seamless sync to the Withings Health Mate app, it provides numerous actionable insights based on daily readings.

Baxter attracted readers by announcing plans to spin off its renal care and acute therapies businesses into an independent, publicly traded company as part of strategic operational changes, and Olympus Medical Systems bolstered web analytics with its regulatory woes. The recently issued two warning letters to Olympus Medical and its subsidiary Aizu Olympus Co. after facility inspections. The warning letters concern violations in medical device reporting requirements and quality system regulations for endoscopes and endoscope accessories, including surgical and gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopes and endoscope reprocessors.

1. Schott Opens New Facility in Phoenix, Arizona

2. CES 2023: Xander Premiers Glasses for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

3. Withings Introduces U-Scan Home Urine Lab

4. Olympus Issued Two FDA Warning Letters

5. Baxter to Spin Off Renal Care, Acute Therapies Businesses