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Surgeons in Houston have performed the world’s first successful human implant of BiVACOR’s Total Artificial Heart (TAH) technology. The procedure was completed July 9, 2024, at The Texas Heart Institute at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center. It was part of an early feasibility study (EFS) first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) back in December 2023.

An additional 15 patients will now receive BiVacor's titanium total artificial heart technology as they wait for a permanent transplant.

HeartBeam, a California-based healthcare technology company, has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for its cable-free, credit card-sized heart monitor that produces 12-lead electrocardiograms (ECGs).

The new device was designed to help patients evaluate their own heart health in real time.

Left: Petr Neužil, MD, PhD, head of the department of cardiology at Na Homolce Hospital in Prague, Czech Republic / Right: Vivek Y. Reddy, MD, director of cardiac arrhythmia services at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City

The first-in-human procedures were performed in Prague with the investigational Aveir CSP leadless pacemaker system.

Philips Healthcare's combined IVL and laser atherectomy catheter that is being used in the THOR trial to treat heavily calcified peripheral artery lesions.

After the significant success of Shockwave Medical's IVL therapy to break up heavily calcified vessels without trauma, there are now several companies working on their own IVL devices. 

Around the web

Several key trends were evident at the Radiological Society of North America 2024 meeting, including new CT and MR technology and evolving adoption of artificial intelligence.

Ron Blankstein, MD, professor of radiology, Harvard Medical School, explains the use of artificial intelligence to detect heart disease in non-cardiac CT exams.

Eleven medical societies have signed on to a consensus statement aimed at standardizing imaging for suspected cardiovascular infections.