The U.S. FDA has granted a breakthrough device designation for a new hemodialysis system from Fresenius Medical Care Holdings Inc. The device is designed to prevent blood blotting without the use of blood-thinning medication, such as heparin, that most dialysis patients require.
The FDA held a webinar directed toward the recent draft guidance for the accreditation scheme for conformity assessment (ASCA), but while independent labs figure to handle much of the related activity, FDA staff welcomed manufacturer's labs as well, emphasizing that the agency seeks the participation of all potentially interested parties.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's (PTO) January guidance is credited with improving the patent examination process, but case law still rules the world outside the halls of the agency, a fact that suggests life science applicants draft their claims with an eye toward both the courts and the PTO.
Garwood Medical Devices LLC's biofilm disruption device, Bioprax, has received breakthrough device designation from the U.S. FDA. Bioprax turns metal implants into electrodes and uses low-voltage electricity to eliminate the bacteria associated with biofilm infections.