HeartLight X3 is the third-generation version of the HeartLight endoscopic laser ablation system for pulmonary vein isolation to treat atrial fibrillation.

A snapshot of global medical device approvals captured during the past week in Medtech Insight's Approvals Tracker. This week FDA approved Impulse Dynamics’ Optimizer Smart impulse generator for cardiac contractility modulation therapy, CardioFocus’ HeartLight Endoscopic Ablation system earned a CE Mark, and Health Canada approved a new version of DarioHealth’s smart-phone compatible continuous glucose monitor.

Starts & Stops compiles all the clinical trial announcements, initiations, completions and suspensions tracked by Meddevicetracker. This edition covers trial announcements from March 4 through March 17, including trial announcements from CardioFocus, Innovative Cardiovascular Solutions, IntraLink-Spine, Geneveve, Acutus, and Stereotaxis.

Industry representatives – including the head of the Access to Medical Imaging Coalition and a former chief operating officer at Boston Scientific – remain unconcerned about expected major drops in health insurance coverage if a Republican-controlled Congress and HHS secretary appointee Tom Price repeal Obamacare this year, saying that proposed Republican replacement plans will fill the gap. Current HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell disagrees, and laid out the reasons why in a Jan. 9 speech.