In a case going before the Supreme Court in less than three weeks, Stryker is asking the court to broaden the circumstances under which patent damages may be tripled, a position the Obama administration appears to support but one that is getting pushback from tech firms, and at least one device-maker, Medtronic.

Medical device manufacturers have a growing interest in 3D printing, a technology that could upend the manufacturing and distribution of certain medical devices and expand the scope of personalized medicine – especially in orthopedics, where it's used for some models, implants, and surgical cutting guides. Despite uncertainties related to regulation, reimbursement, and scaling up, global 3D printing revenues for medical and dental applications reached an estimated $537.1 million in 2014.

Supreme Court to hear oral arguments in case that could restrict the ability of the Federal Circuit to overturn certain rulings on patent claim terms; Google, Intel and other tech companies back Sandoz.

The Internet giant’s four-year-old venture arm has begun investing in health care start-ups, and at the helm is a practicing physician who wants to bring Big Data savvy and Silicon Valley attitude to the halls of medicine.