The Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence (ACE) announced this week that updated standards for cardiac intervention procedures have been published and are now available for download on the ACE website. ACE updated its Cath/PCI standards to align with the recently published clinical competency document for PCI which includes information on physician training, clinical competency criteria and the updated expert consensus document published in 2012.

Boston Scientific Corporation has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance for the Rhythmia™ Mapping System, a next-generation 3D mapping and navigation solution for use in cardiac catheter ablations and other electrophysiology (EP) procedures to diagnose or treat a variety of conditions in which the heart beats abnormally.

The University of Vermont College of Medicine has announced that cardiologist and Professor of Medicine David Schneider, M.D., has been appointed director of the Cardiovascular Research Institute (CVRI). The director of cardiology in the department of medicine and medical director of cardiology at Fletcher Allen Health Care, Schneider will succeed CVRI founding director Burton Sobel, M.D., who passed away in spring 2013.

JenaValve Technology, Inc., a privately-held, venture-backed developer, manufacturer and marketer of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) systems for the treatment of aortic valve disease, announced today that it has raised $62.5 million in a Series C venture round.

Through the kindness of Richard M. and Yvonne Hamlin, Summa Health System announced today the largest philanthropic gift in its organization’s history – a $4 million contribution for the creation of a hybrid cardiovascular operating room at Summa Akron City Hospital. In honor of the benefactors, Summa’s Center of Excellence building at 95 Arch Street in Akron will be renamed The Richard M. and Yvonne Hamlin Pavilion. The facility is home to numerous cardiopulmonary patient services as well as medical and surgical physician offices.

To improve clinical staff safety during interventional procedures and help monitor radiation dose, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. has partnered with Unfors RaySafe, Inc. to offer a new dose monitoring and management tool for Infinix™-i cardiovascular X-ray systems. The Unfors RaySafe i2 displays real-time dose exposure information, helping to make exams safer for all clinical staff.

A new book, The Heart of Leonardo, features all of Leonardo's drawings on the heart and its physiology, accompanied by translations of his accompanying notes.

Enhancing its product leadership team, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. has named David Sloop director, X-ray Vascular Business Unit. Sloop will be responsible for implementing strategic marketing plans to drive growth and profitability of Toshiba’s X-ray Vascular product line.