Biopharmaceutical and medical device companies are receiving fewer investments from U.S. venture capitalists, according to a survey conducted by the National Venture Capital Association, which indicated that investors plan to decrease the amounts they spend on start-ups and shift focus toward Europe and Asia. The survey cited FDA regulatory challenges as having the highest impact on investment decisions.

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) has been awarded a $5.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to advance a new method of using MRI technology to create more detailed scans of prostate tumors and other diseased tissue.

William A. Hawkins, former chairman and CEO of Medtronic, will replace outgoing Immucor CEO Joshua Levine, after he steps down from the role Oct. 17, according to a statement from the companys board of directors.

Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Worcester, Mass., have expanded the medical reach of smartphones, developing an application that can turn the ubiquitous devices into vital sign monitors.

A consolidated class action complaint for violations of federal securities laws has been filed against Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) by the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board on the heels of U.K. officials ending plans for building out a nationwide health IT network.

Strategies for optimizing radiation dose in abdominal CT include appropriate use, personalized scanning techniques for patient size and automatic exposure control, according to an article in the October issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

GE Healthcare has received FDA clearance for the Discovery MR750w wide-bore 3T MR system.

Teleradiology firm Virtual Radiologic (vRad) has named Pat Basu, MD, MBA, chief medical officer. He has just completed a one-year term in President Barack Obamas administration serving as a White House Fellow, a program for national leadership and public service.