Aktiia SA’s cuff-less blood pressure monitor – a connected optical system for continuous monitoring – has launched in Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, U.K. and Switzerland. Aktiia’s monitor is a bracelet that includes a photoplethysmography sensor with a silicon diode receptor capable of measuring the pulse to within an accuracy of ±5 beats per minute, a communication module and a rechargeable lithium-ion battery.

Restoring blood flow to limbs is a challenging goal, given the minuteness of the peripheral vasculature. But there is a huge unmet need for patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) – a severe form of peripheral artery disease in which patients face major amputation. Now, Limflow SA reports one-year data from the PROMISE I study shows its Percutaneous Deep Vein Arterialization System (pDVA) led to sustained amputation-free survival and wound healing in CLTI patients treated with the device.

Boston Scientific Corp. presented late-breaking data at EuroPCR 2021 demonstrating positive procedural performance for its Acurate Neo2 aortic valve system, including low rates of paravalvular leakage (PVL) and permanent pacemaker implementation (PPI). The findings are good news, following the older Acurate Neo’s failure to demonstrate noninferiority to Medtronic plc’s Evolut R in the so-called SCOPE II study.

Percutaneously implanted devices designed to seal off the left atrial appendage (LAA) have been around for some time, but a recent study of surgical closure of the appendage might have a beneficial effect on sales of these devices despite that the study did not deal directly with these devices. The results were compelling enough to provoke a halt to the study before all patients had reached the projected term of follow-up, and at least one observer said it may be time to study whether more routine use of devices for percutaneous LAA closure is indicated.