B. Braun Medical has agreed to pay almost $8 million in penalties, forfeiture and restitution to resolve its criminal liability related to the sale of contaminated prefilled saline flush syringes that dates back to 2007. The syringes were manufactured by another company, but sold under the B. Braun label. "The Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) prohibits companies from selling contaminated products, even when the company did not make the product itself," said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin Mizer, head of the Justice Department's Civil Division, in a statement. "Companies must take reasonable steps to ensure that their suppliers are making quality products that help rather than harm patients. Today's settlement shows that the government will continue to hold companies accountable for failing to fulfill this critically important responsibility." More
> Nelson Laboratories and Healthmark are offering an endoscope sampling kit for the random testing of duodenoscopes in compliance with CDC guidelines. More
> Medtronic ($MDT) has launched its Spine Essentials in the U.S., it's a series of sets of implants that are most commonly used in cervical spine fusion. More
> The newest guidelines for adult stroke rehabilitation and recover from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) include recommendations for robot-assisted movement training and robot assisted gait training that incorporates virtual reality. More