Siemens Healthineers has completed its $16.4 billion acquisition of Varian Medical Systems. "With the completion of this transaction, we are now best-positioned to take two leaps together: a leap in cancer care and a leap in our impact on healthcare overall," said Siemens Healthineers CEO Bernd Montag.

Robotics technology firm Vicarious Surgical has agreed to merge with special purpose acquisition company D8 Holdings and will go public with an enterprise value of $1.1 billion. "Our robot can see, reach, and work anywhere inside the abdomen, which effectively shrinks the surgeon and puts her/him inside the human body," said Vicarious Surgical co-founder and CEO Adam Sachs.

Researchers from the University of California at Berkeley have developed a small wireless implant that can give real-time measurements of tissue oxygen levels. The device could be used to monitor the health of transplanted tissues and organs and provide early detection of organ rejection or tissue failure.

A study presented at the virtual 2021 American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine annual meeting showed a drop in the total number of ultrasound exams at a New York City hospital over an eight-week period from March to May 2020 to 639, compared with 1,511 during the same time frame in 2019, while the number of patients who had an ultrasound exam and were admitted to the hospital rose from 86 in 2019 to 114 in 2020. Researchers identified several potential reasons for the differences, including fear of the coronavirus, efforts to reduce hospital use among non-COVID-19 patients and health care providers' decisions on whether diagnostic exams were appropriate amid the pandemic.

Apple is recruiting volunteers for a study of whether the Apple Watch 6's blood oxygen and heart rate sensors can detect early signs of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses, including influenza.

Researchers from the University of Barcelona have developed a blood test that can identify patients who are at risk of experiencing severe COVID-19 symptoms. The researchers believe the test could become available by October.

The FDA has given emergency use authorization to Qorvo for its Omnia SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Test.

European regulators have given CE mark approval to Snibe Diagnostic for its Maglumi HIV Ab/Ag Combi CLIA kit, a fourth-generation chemiluminescence immunoassay that can detect the HIV-1 p24 antigen, as well as HIV-1 and HIV-2 antibodies.

European regulators have given CE mark approval to Hensler Surgical Technologies for its Hensler Bone Press that is used to harvest autologous material that will be used in bone fusion surgery.

The FDA has given clearance to Acutus Medical for its AcQCross family of universal transseptal crossing devices.

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