NHS England to offer free medical devices and apps in 2017

In its latest digital health push, England’s National Health Service (NHS) is offering remote monitoring medical devices and apps to help millions of people manage chronic conditions–for free.

FDA approves novel stomach-emptying device to treat obesity

The FDA has added a fourth kind of obesity treatment device to its roster of approved interventions.  The Agency has approved the AspireAssist System from Pennsylvania-based startup Aspire Bariatrics. The device works to drain part of the stomach contents after each meal via a surgically place tube.

Early trial shows wearable artificial kidney could be viable alternative to hemodialysis

While hemodialysis has improved since its introduction in the 1960s, there are still some drawbacks, most notably being tethered to a machine for several hours, multiple times a week.  The University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle has tested a wearable artificial kidney (WAK) that could give patients more freedom while dialyzing.

DOE, University of Rochester back novel endoscope for early bladder cancer detection

Adding blue-light imaging to white-light endoscopy can give a more complete picture of the body’s internal tissues, but can also be more costly, impractical and time-consuming.  Vancouver, Canada-based Imagin is teaming up with the University of Rochester and the U.S. Department of Energy on a device that could eliminate these disadvantages and facilitate the early detection of bladder cancer.

Fitbit hints at FDA regulation, as it launches corporate wellness, population health biz

Corporate wellness, and broader population health initiatives along those lines, is a small part of Fitbit’s business right now.  However, the dominant wearable player is preparing to become a powerhouse tapping into the massive markets generated by major employers and insurers.  Those efforts may show more promise in broader health improvement than Fitbit’s retail consumer sales given their ability to back up the technology with monitoring, incentives and even disincentives.

Health, environmental tracker could head off asthma attacks without drugs

Currently, asthma treatment involves avoiding irritants and taking medication to relieve symptoms. Researchers at North Carolina State University have created a wearable system that more concretely monitors potential environmental irritants and could predict and potentially prevent asthma attacks.

China FDA logs more than 320,000 device adverse medical reports in 2015

China FDA has released an updated tally of adverse event reporting for medical devices that found more than 320,000 incidents were noted in 2015 with 80% from users of medical equipment.  A separate report linked 184 deaths to incidents involving devices.