Spotlight On... Thousands of blind Indians using an indigenous, low-cost 'smart' cane to avoid obstacles; BD gets FDA approval for cervical cancer screener; Palmaz declares bankruptcy, seeks partners; and more...

By attaching an ultrasonic sensor to the top of the white cane used by the blind to detect obstacles, Indian engineer Rohan Paul has reduced upper body collisions by 90% among 200 people who tested the device. More than 10,000 Indians now use the smart cane, which costs $50. "People have been trying to put sensors on canes for a very long time, but there was still an unmet need for a low-cost, effective, usable device," Paul, now a postdoctoral fellow at MIT, said. More

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> Becton Dickinson ($BDX) has received FDA approval for its BD Totalys MultiProcessor and BD Totalys SlidePrep instruments that further automates cervical cancer screening. More

> Palmaz Scientific, a maker of implantable devices including the Palmaz Stent, has declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy and is seeking strategic partners. More

> Micro-cap Bionik Laboratories ($BNLK) will buy robotic neurorehabilitation company Interactive Motion Technologies in an all-stock deal worth about $24 million. More

Biotech News

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> Bristol-Myers prints a pair of 'Golden Tickets' for Cambridge biotech startups. Report

> Europe takes a page from the FDA with new speedy approval program. Story

> Aimmune's peanut allergy drug clears Phase II on the way to a pivotal test. Article

Pharma News

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Pharma Marketing News

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Animal Health News

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> Heska's topsy-turvy year ends on a high note as record earnings beat estimates. More

> Under pressure from activists, In-N-Out Burger jumps on antibiotic-free bandwagon. Story

> Zoetis launches first genomic test for predicting common diseases in Holsteins. Article

Biotech IT News

> Bristol-Myers signs deal to use Veeva tools for regulatory information. News

> U.K. firms team up to develop mental health-tracking wearable devices. Report

> GSK extends business process analytics contract to 2020. Story

> George Church's Veritas starts $999 whole-genome sequencing service. Item

> IPhone-based Parkinson's study shares 6 months of data on 9,500 participants. Article