Stereotaxis reported that its Niobe system has performed more than 10,000 procedures.

Medtronic has invested $3.75 million in biotechnology company NanoCorTherapeutics of Chapel Hill, N.C., which intends to use the investmentto develop and commercialize a gene therapy for congestive heartfailure (CHF). Medtronic has also agreed to invest an additional $3.75million upon NanoCor meeting certain CHF milestones.

Pre-diabetic patients amass lipids in cardiac myocytes, which is theearly manifestation in type 2 diabetes mellitus and evident in heartfailures, according to a study published in the August issue of Circulation. The study found that the fat buildup can be viewed through an imaging procedure for preventive purposes.

Interventional device developer W.L. Gore & Associates said thatits Viabahn Endoprosthesis with Heparin Bioactive Surface, a stentgraft designed to open blockages in the superficial femoral artery inthe thigh, was successfully implanted late last month.

Based on a United States government filing, Medtronic, a Minneapolis-based medical device manufacturer, will cut approximately 900 jobs, about 2.4 percent of its workforce, as a result of a downturn in sales for implantable cardiac defibrillators, according to Reuters.

Cardiocore, a cardiac testing laboratory, will now offer centralizedechocardiographic analyses, which the company said can support thegrowing needs of oncology and cardiovascular clinicians, as well asdrug developers who use echocardiography to study cardiac safety andefficacy.

Interventional device developer Boston Scientific of Natick, Mass.,reported that Ray Elliot has been elected to its board of directors.

Research presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) congressin Vienna, Austria, this week found that outpatients withatherothrombosis have a surprisingly high risk of death or majorcardiovascular illness.