Mapping the Human Heart
New technology from Biosense Webster, Inc. is giving physicians a detailed three-dimensional view of the heart so they can treat dangerous cardiac arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation (AFib). More than 20 million people worldwide suffer from AFib, the leading cause of stroke among people over age 65.
The CARTO® 3 System, launched globally in 2009, takes physicians on a visual journey through the heart. The system maps crucial details of the heart in color and in real time, helping physicians to pinpoint abnormalities and fix them using a procedure known as ablation.
“The CARTO® 3 System represents a significant advance for patients and physicians,” says Gerd Hindricks, M.D., Head of the Department of Electrophysiology at University of Leipzig Hospital in Germany. “The accurate 3D maps, together with the ability to visualize the catheter as it is guided through the heart chamber, enable me to efficiently perform cardiac ablation.”
Innovation Propels Hip Business
After 50 years of continued innovation, DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. is the market leader in hip replacement in many parts of the world.
“We offer the broadest range of hip bearings—advanced materials for the ball and socket joint of the hip—of any orthopaedic company,” says Randy Kilburn, Vice President, U.S. Marketing, DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. “Surgeons have a significant range of options from which to choose to meet the complex clinical needs of patients.”
DePuy Orthopaedics continues to pioneer new hip bearings that provide high stability and low wear, meeting the needs of the growing number of active patients. In August, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Advisory Panel recommended approval of the Pinnacle® CoMplete™ Acetabular Hip System, the first ceramic-on-metal hip bearing to be considered for approval in the U.S. (While DePuy Orthopaedics awaits the FDA’s final decision, the Pinnacle® CoMplete™ System remains an investigational device limited by U.S. law to investigational use only.) The Pinnacle® CoMplete™ ceramic-on-metal bearing has been marketed in 40 countries outside the U.S. since 2007.
Also in 2009, the company launched the Silent™ Hip, a minimally invasive hip stem available outside the U.S. only. The Silent™ stem, which is inserted into the femur, is more bone-preserving than traditional stems. In December, DePuy Orthopaedics announced the acquisition of Finsbury Orthopaedics Ltd. in the United Kingdom, a move that makes it the only company with a large-diameter one-piece ceramic-on-ceramic hip bearing.