An overview of November’s 10 most-read Medtech Insight articles on topics related to research and development of new medical technology.

November’s approvals include the US FDA approval of Medtronic’s In.Pact AV paclitaxel-coated balloon, for the treatment of arteriovenous access in patients with end-stage renal disease, and a CE mark that expands the indication for Edwards’ Sapien 3 TAVR device to include patients at low-risk during surgery.

In this week's Medtech Insight podcast, deputy editor Reed Miller discusses clinical trial news from the annual American Heart Association (AHA) meeting, and senior reporter Catherine Longworth highlights goings-on at the Jefferies Healthcare Conference in London.

The US agency will host a two-day meeting to discuss the evolution of artificial intelligence technology used to analyze radiological images when diagnosing patients and in advising radiologists to take optimal pictures. The takeaways from the meeting will be used by the FDA to help it develop its thinking on how to regulate such technology.

The insulin pump market is expected to grow to $5.1bn by 2023, driven by the increasing incidence of diabetes and adoption of next-generation hybrid closed-loop systems that allow patients and health-care providers to better manage care. This first part of a two-part series highlights the rising competitive landscape of the four major players, Medtronic, Insulet, Tandem Diabetes Care and Valeritas, with insights from endocrinologists. The second part will look at the smaller players, which are also gearing up to introduce new products in 2020.

Software firms interested in the digital-health arena are engaging US FDA more and bolstering their regulatory credentials to navigate an unfamiliar regulatory landscape, industry experts tell Medtech Insight.

November’s approvals include the US FDA approval of Medtronic’s In.Pact AV paclitaxel-coated balloon, for the treatment of arteriovenous access in patients with end-stage renal disease, and a CE mark that expands the indication for Edwards’ Sapien 3 TAVR device to include patients at low-risk during surgery.

Tusker Medical won US FDA approval for its Tubes Under Local Anesthesia (Tula) System, the first device allowing ear tubes to treat recurrent ear infections in children to be installed in the physician's office under local anesthesia. See what Jeff Shuren, director of the agency's device center, said about it here.

A device newly approved by the US FDA will allow physicians to insert ear tubes to treat recurrent ear infections in the office, eliminating the risks of general anesthesia. The Tubes Under Local Anesthesia (Tula) System was reviewed via the agency’s breakthrough device pathway.