FDAnews Device Daily Bulletin

Medtronic has announced that a Delaware jury rendered verdicts in patent litigation between Medtronic and the ACS subsidiary of Guidant, stating that Guidant's patents on its Lau stent are valid and that certain Medtronic stents, including the S7 and Driver stents, infringe those patents.

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and Guidant said that the FTC has made a second request for additional information about the companies' planned merger.

Advanced Neuromodulation Systems (ANSI) has sold off the last of its 3.5 million shares of former merger target Cyberonics as the company prepares to move into new clinical trials this year.

Candela, a maker of medical lasers, said that an arbitrator ordered the company to pay additional royalties to the patent holder of technology used in Candela's dynamic-cooling device.

EDAP TMS announced the purchase of the first Ablatherm device by "La Mutualite Francaise" which is responsible for more than 2,000 public clinics in France.

Laser medical equipment firm Lumenis announced that company President and CEO Avner Raz had resigned from its board of directors.

Millimed, a Swedish manufacturer and marketer of interventional cardiology and neuro-radiology devices, said it has entered into an agreement to acquire Blue Medical Devices, a developer of cardiac devices, for an undisclosed sum. Millimed is also raising a $15 million Series B round.

Sybron Dental Specialties, a manufacturer of a broad range of value-added products for the professional dental market and the specialty markets of orthodontics, endodontics, implants and infection prevention, announced that Bernard Pitz will join the company effective March 1. After a transition period, Mr. Pitz will succeed Gregory Waller, who announced last November his intention to retire during 2005, as chief financial officer (CFO).

NetImpact Holdings has entered into an investment agreement with ProVision Capital Group (PCG) for a $10,000,000 investment to be paid in 12 equal installments.

Valley Forge Scientific announced that Bruce Murray, a director of the company, has been hired as the company's chief operating officer.

Caprius announced that it had completed a $4.5 million equity financing.

BioniCare Medical Technologies announced a partnership agreement with RS Medical to expand sales coverage of its physician-prescribed pulsed electrical stimulation device for osteoarthritis of the knee -- the BIO-1000 System -- to more than 150 metropolitan markets across the U.S. through the 300 sales people of RS Medical.