> Scott Garrett, the former chairman, president and CEO of Beckman Coulter, has joined private equity firm Water Street Healthcare Partners as an operating partner. He brings more than 35 years of experience leading healthcare businesses ranging from diagnostics and life sciences to medical products and services. Water Street release
> BioMérieux has recalled Vitek, the diagnostics firm's antibiotic susceptibility test cards for certain bacterias. News
> Harwood Feffer LLP is investigating potential claims in connection with American Medical Systems Holdings concerning the company's agreement to be acquired by Endo Pharmaceuticals Holdings in a transaction valued at approximately $2.9 billion. The transaction is expected to close late in the third quarter of this year. Harwood Feffer LLP release
> PLUS Diagnostics has appointed David Pauluzzi as CEO. Pauluzzi has served as the company's president and COO since 2008. Tim Brodnik, a longtime laboratory industry veteran, will continue to work closely with Pauluzzi in his role as executive chairman. PLUS Diagnostics release
> Cardiocom has received one of six national contracts awarded from the Department of Veteran Affairs for Home Telehealth Devices and Services. Cardiocom will supply VA with its telehealth products and services portfolio which includes its Commander Home Telehealth Monitoring System, Interactive Voice Response System and Omnivisor Patient Management Software. Cardiocom release
> Medtronic has launched the Enlite sensor, the newest and most advanced glucose sensor for continuous glucose monitoring, in more than 35 countries outside the U.S. Medtronic release
> Lanx has reached 17,000 implantations of its flagship product, the Aspen spinous process fixation system (Aspen), at the 2011 American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) Annual Meeting, Denver, CO. Lanx release
> Bone Solutions has announced the completion of a pilot study indicating that its OsteoCrete product may be the first bone void filler to be successfully used as a fusion-facilitator in a rabbit posterolateral lumbar spine model. OsteoCrete is already FDA-cleared as a bone void filler. The company also announced that it intends to commence production of OsteoCrete early in the fourth quarter of this year. Bone Solutions release
And Finally... The Nevada State Medical Board, which suspended Dr. Michael Kaplan's medical license because he reused single-use medical devices in prostate biopsy procedures, has reinstated his license. However, it stipulated that the urologist, who the board had said stopped reusing single-use needle guides only when they became "too bloody," can once again perform invasive procedures at his office as long as a "third party" health professional is monitoring his infection control efforts. Story