Major medical device companies paid almost $1bn in consulting fees, royalties, research costs and other expenses to physicians in 2017, the most recent data release from the US Open Payments database shows. Zimmer Biomet reported the highest spending on general physician payments, while Roche and Medtronic topped the list of research spending.

President Trump’s promise to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy with a new, more conservative justice could have big implications on the court’s future rulings on a range of device-related issues, from US FDA pre-emption to IUD sales, to Affordable Care Act coverage of devices.

The first of a multi-part Medtech Insight feature series on what a more conservative Supreme Court could mean for future court decisions that impact the medical device industry.

The US Defense Logistics Agency, which supports troops across the military, has awarded a $471.6m contract for cardiovascular products to Medtronic.

On this week's podcast, we discuss medtech matters that are on the radar of US lawmakers, and issues that are coming up in the courts.

A new regulation from Brazilian device regulator ANVISA will require some high-risk devices to carry Unique Device Identifiers. The rule, which will come into effect in 2020, is the first time the country has mandated UDIs.

Draeger has recalled two devices used to detect jaundice in newborns after users misinterpret display.