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medtronic

Researcher battles insulin pump maker over security flaw

A security researcher who has proven he can remotely disable the insulin pump he relies on to keep his diabetes in check says the device maker is refusing to acknowledge the problem and misleading the public.

However, Medtronic, the maker of the insulin pump in question and one of the largest medical device manufacturers in the world, insists that the risk is very low.

Other insulin pumps allow for software updates, but to plug any holes in the software of the Medtronic pump would require a recall of all the devices now in use by patients--a costly endeavor and potentially … Read more

FDA approves first and only MRI-safe pacemaker

Pacemaker patients who opt for magnetic resonance imaging risk serious complications, including damage to the pacemaker's parts or a change in the device's ability to consistently trigger a heartbeat (called pacing capture threshold). That is, until now.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has just approved Medtronic's Revo MRI SureScan pacemaker for use in the U.S.; in doing so, the SureScan has become the first and only pacemaker in the country approved as MR-Conditional.

Minneapolis-based Medtronic says it will begin shipping the pacing system--which costs between $5,000 and $10,000--immediately.

"[This] is a … Read more

Dashboard setup keeps tabs on diabetic drivers

If someone with diabetes is driving down the road and starts to feel a hypoglycemic attack coming on, that person may realize what's happening and stop to get a bite to eat. Or not, which could lead to trouble. That latter scenario inspired Medtronic's "M-Powered Concept Car" and its onboard glucose-monitoring system.

With data transmitted via Bluetooth, the wireless setup lets people wearing a continuous glucose-monitoring system (CGMS) get readings of their blood sugar levels through audio and visual cues from the car's dashboard. Medtronic, a medical-device manufacturing company, premiered the car at the 68th Annual Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association, … Read more