Through the kindness of Richard M. and Yvonne Hamlin, Summa Health System announced today the largest philanthropic gift in its organization’s history – a $4 million contribution for the creation of a hybrid cardiovascular operating room at Summa Akron City Hospital. In honor of the benefactors, Summa’s Center of Excellence building at 95 Arch Street in Akron will be renamed The Richard M. and Yvonne Hamlin Pavilion. The facility is home to numerous cardiopulmonary patient services as well as medical and surgical physician offices.

To improve clinical staff safety during interventional procedures and help monitor radiation dose, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. has partnered with Unfors RaySafe, Inc. to offer a new dose monitoring and management tool for Infinix™-i cardiovascular X-ray systems. The Unfors RaySafe i2 displays real-time dose exposure information, helping to make exams safer for all clinical staff.

Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration 510(k) clearance and CE Mark approval for the Guidezilla™ Guide Extension Catheter and has launched the device in the U.S. and Europe.

STENTYS, a medical technology company commercializing in Europe the world's first and only Self-Apposing® Stent to treat acute myocardial infarction (AMI), announced today that it received approval from its European Notified Body to expand the CE Mark indications of the Self-Apposing stent.

ATLANTA—Opportunities exist within many cardiovascular programs to trim out costs and add value. But where? Suzette Jaskie, president and CEO of MedAxiom Consulting, offered five “slam dunk” approaches June 13 at the Cardiovascular Service Line Symposium in Atlanta.

The delayed healing of the coronary artery following physicians’ use of drug eluting stents (DES), which increases patients’ risks of developing thrombosis, is a top concern today of interventional cardiologists, according to the results of a survey announced at EuroPCR 2013 in Paris.

Today Ted A. Bass, M.D., FSCAI, announced that the focus of his term as the 36th President of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions will be to expand SCAI’s commitment to quality improvement in invasive and interventional cardiology. Dr. Bass was inducted at the SCAI 2013 Scientific Sessions, where he led a Town Hall-style discussion among attendees about the opportunities and challenges facing the specialty. 

Vascular Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq:VASC) today announced that it has re-launched the Venture catheter, a deflectable-tip catheter used to provide guidewire directional control in challenging coronary and peripheral interventional procedures. The device is available immediately in the United States and expected to become available in select international markets over the next few months.