Canon plans two new ortho conferences

Canon Communications (Los Angeles) reported plans to introduce two new events in 2010 that are dedicated to the orthopaedic manufacturing sector, which is currently valued at $40 billion worldwide. OrthoTec Conference & Exhibition will debut May 12-13 in the U.S. at the Orthopaedic Capital Center (Warsaw, Indiana); and in Europe September 29-30 at the Mövenpick Hotel Zürich-Regensdorf (Zurich, Switzerland).

"The OrthoTec conferences in the U.S. and Europe will focus on design and collaborative product development between leading orthopaedic surgeons and R&D directors from the largest orthopaedic device manufacturers, as well as technical sessions on best manufacturing and quality practices," said Kevin O'Keefe, senior VP of Canon's Events Division. "The events' exhibitions will feature the world's top suppliers to the orthopaedic manufacturing sector."

Canon Communications is a producer of trade events, publications, and electronic media for the technology-based manufacturing industry.

CareFusion to resume shipments of Alaris units

CareFusion (San Diego), the company that will become public from the planned spinoff of Cardinal Health's clinical and medical products businesses, said that it will immediately resume customer implementations of its Alaris PC units and PCA (Patient Controlled Analgesia) modules following a shipping hold announced in March.

The company is ready to resume shipments following FDA 510(k) clearance for a software correction that will be implemented on new Alaris PC units.

"The 510(k) clearance for our software correction is another important milestone in our continued progress under the amended consent decree," said Dwight Winstead, COO of CareFusion. "We will continue to work closely with the FDA to fulfill all of our obligations under the amended consent decree and execute within our new quality system to manufacture products that are among the safest in the industry."

The 510(k) clearance follows FDA acceptance of the company's corrective action plan for field remediation of its infusion pumps that was announced on June 9. For Alaris PC units already with customers, CareFusion will begin implementing the software correction as part of this corrective action plan.