April 5, 2011 – A microcatheter system has received the CE mark. The Plato Microcath system, by Scientia Vascular, is now available in Europe for neuro, cardio and peripheral endovascular applications.

April 4, 2011 – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a 210-patient investigation devices exemption (IDE) clinical trial to test the efficacy of a bone marrow stem cell technology in patients with non-reconstructable critical limb ischemia (CLI).

April 4, 2011 – Doctors are encouraged to consider therapies in addition to blood thinners to treat certain patients with potentially dangerous blood clots that form in the deep veins and travel to the lungs, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association. The statement is published online in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

April 4, 2011 – A wireless remote monitoring program for patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) has been launched by Anthem Blue Cross. The program is designed to help patients better monitor and manage the condition.

April 4, 2011 – A non-invasive cardiac test will be on display at the Scientific Sessions and Expo of the American College of Cardiology in New Orleans. The Multifunction CardioGram (MCG), from Premier Heart, offers completely non-invasive cardiac testing using power estimate as an aid to assist physicians in diagnosis.

April 1, 2011 – Oral antiplatelet therapy Effient (prasugrel) has been added to the updated clinical practice guidelines as a Class I recommended treatment option for patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) after experiencing heart-related chest pain at rest (unstable angina) or non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI).