MPO’s Most-Read Stories This Week—March 25

Personnel news drove a good portion of MPO website traffic this past week. 

Victoria Carr-Brendel led pageviews with her appointment to the Vicarious Surgical Inc.Board of Directors. Replacing Phil Liang (resigned), Carr-Brendel, Ph.D., has 24 years of medical device development experience leading R&D, new product development, divisional, and business development functions. She currently serves as group vice president of Cochlear Implants at Sonova Group/president of Advanced Bionics, a Sonova company and a global leader in the treatment of severe-to-profound hearing loss.

AdvaMed’s new chairman enticed visitors to the site as well. Ashley McEvoy, executive VP and worldwide chairman of medtech at Johnson & Johnson, is now leading the organization for a two-year term. McEvoy has served on AdvaMed’s board since 2018, leading important initiatives for the association. She supervised AdvaMed’s efforts to expand and fortify global market access for U.S. medtech firms through leading the International Board Committee. She helped work to restore elective procedures during the pandemic, and led the board’s efforts to address healthcare  and outcome disparities in reflected in the association’s Principles on Health Equity. McEvoy leads J&J’s $27 billion medtech business. She succeeds Abiomed’s former chairman, president, and CEO Michael Minogue.

Besides the personnel news, cyber visitors—not surprisingly—gravitated toward acquisition and new product approval announcements. Inspire Medical Systems increased its digital presence with the latter, earning FDA approval for its Inspire therapy for pediatric patients with Down syndrome. Inspire has been prescribed to adults with Down syndrome for years, previously only to those at least 18 years of age. The approval now covers OSA patients at least 13 years old with an apnea hypnopea index between 10 and 50 without the ability to benefit from CPAP.

Machine Solutions Inc., meanwhile, gained popularity with MPO loyalists for purchasing Vela Technologies Inc., a San Diego-based designer and manufacturer of proprietary 3D UV curing equipment used for medical devices (catheters, guidewires and adhesive bonding), and industrial applications. The acquisition enables Machine Solutions to expand the medical device manufacturing automation technologies offered by its brands, including MSI, Steeger USA, Vante, PlasticWeld Systems, Crescent Design, Beahm Designs, BW-TEC, SEBRA and Intec Automation. 

1. Victoria Carr-Brendel Joins Vicarious Surgical Board

2. Medical Device Testers Are Caught Up in a Whirlwind

3. J&J Exec Ashley McEvoy Named AdvaMed’s New Chairman

4. Inspire Medical Systems Gains FDA Approval for Pediatric Patients With Down Syndrome

5. Machine Solutions Acquires Vela Technologies