Israel is well-known as a medtech hot-spot, with a focus on academic research and strong government support helping the country punch well above its weight when it comes to innovative devices.

St Jude Medical had a heavy focus on its intravascular imaging offering at this year’s EuroPCR meeting, presenting data supporting its optical coherence tomography (OCT) technology. OCT provides intravascular images to help assess culprit lesions, which can improve stent selection and deployment, according to St Jude.

A big topic at this year’s EuroPCR, held in Paris on 19-22 May, was drug-coated balloons (DCBs). One of the leaders in the field, Medtronic, presented positive data from two studies of its IN.PACT Admiral balloon, which could support an expanded indication for the device.