SensNews Feb 2016

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Sensor100 February 2016 22
Wireless, dissolvable sensors to monitor brain
A team of neurosurgeons and engineers has developed wireless
brain sensors that monitor intracranial pressure and tempera-
ture and then are absorbed by the body, negating the need
for surgery to remove the devices. These implants, developed
by scientists atWashington University School of Medicine in
St. Louis and engineers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign, potentially could be used to monitor patients with
traumatic brain injuries, but the researchers believe they can
build similar absorbable sensors to monitor activity in organ
systems throughout the body.Their findings were published online in the journal Na-
ture.
Washington University
School of Medicine, 18 January
Abbott Labs to Acquire Alere
Abbott Labs and Alere Inc. have announced a definitive agreement for Abbott to ac-
quire Alere, significantly advancing Abbott’s global diagnostics presence and leadership.
Under the terms of the agreement, Abbott will pay $56 per common share at a total
expected equity value of $5.8 billion. Once the transaction is completed,Abbott will
become the leading diagnostics provider of point of care testing.Abbott’s total diagnos-
tics sales will exceed $7 billion after the close.
“The demand for point-of-care testing is accelerating as health care providers and
consumers look for better ways to get fast, accurate and actionable information to
guide decision making that improves patient care and reduces unnecessary health care”
spending, Abbott’s CEO said.
The medical device sector has been consolidating in the face of pressure from hospi-
tals and health systems to cut costs. Last year, there were 1,007 pending or completed
deals in the industry, worth a total of $58.9 billion, according to data compiled by
Bloomberg.
Reported by February 1