Our monthly update on technology transfer deals--licensing agreements between companies and universities or other research institutions--in the fields of life sciences, including in vitro diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, research/analytical equipment & supplies, and medical devices.

A roundup of recent medtech strategic alliances, mergers & acquisitions and financings.

The rates of reoperation after breast conservation therapy vary between 25 and 49%, due to the presence of tumor cells remaining in the surrounding tissue after the tumor is removed. NovaScan hopes to reduce the need for these reoperations. Its FastPath residual cancer probe is designed to identify normal, benign and malignant tissue types remaining inside the surgical cavity and in excised tissue in real time during surgery.

The debate surrounding the future of minimally invasive surgery -- whether single-incision laparoscopy will prevail, or whether it is merely a stepping stone to a world of incisionless NOTES procedures - is not really relevant to Virtual Incision, a start-up developing mini surgical robots. The company's founders believe that in vivo robots will free a surgeon of any constraints due to the method of entering the body.