Stroke survivors have better quality of life three months after their stroke if the clot that caused the stroke was mechanically removed even hours beyond the ideal treatment window compared to those treated with drugs alone. This preliminary research will be presented, Feb. 6-8 in Honolulu at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2019.

In 2018, capital investment in companies developing artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled medical image analysis solutions was almost $580 million. This was more than double the investment into such companies in 2017, according to market research firm Signify Research.

Biosense Webster has enrolled and treated the first patient in its U.S. Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) study evaluating the company’s QDot Micro radiofrequency (RF) ablation catheter in the treatment of symptomatic drug-refractory paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). The first AF patient was treated at NYU Langone Health’s Heart Rhythm Center in New York City, one of up to 30 centers participating in the study that will enroll up to 185 patients throughout the U.S.

Cardiovascular Systems Inc. announced that the first patients in the United States were treated using the OrbusNeich Teleport Microcatheter (Teleport), which recently received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance.

Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered a novel signaling pathway that promotes healing after a heart attack. The study, published in Cell Metabolism, demonstrates for the first time that the metabolism of dead heart cells by macrophages reprograms the immune cells to launch an anti-inflammatory response and stimulate tissue repair.