The global molecular diagnostics market will grow by $2.4 billion over the next five years according to a global market report from Medtech Insight. Major factors contributing to the healthy growth of this market include advances in technology, as well as the growing understanding of the human genome, pharmacogenomics and the relationship between genes and disease/infection.

Interventional pulmonology is a burgeoning field for medical device manufacturers. It is ripe with opportunities to develop minimally invasive solutions for patients with chronic progressive lung disease. Emphysema, which afflicts close to 2% of the world's population, is a prime target. With an opportunity as large as this driving innovation and investment, the right combination of technology and clinical trial design could spell blockbuster success for medtech companies.

Heart failure was the theme at this year's European Society of Cardiology Congress in Vienna, but drug-eluting stents dominated interest with imaging sessions also drawing crowds.