Intuitive Surgical Inc. is about to receive the first indication of how it will likely fare against a host of lawsuits.

Jury deliberations are slated to begin today in the first of at least 26 lawsuits against Intuitive alleging injuries connected to its da Vinci robotic system, Bloomberg.com reported. Kitsap County Superior Court Judge Jay Roof handed the case to the jury Tuesday after a trial that lasted five weeks. The family of Fred Taylor seeks $8.45 million in damages against Intuitive based on claims that the company is responsible for the injuries suffered during and after a 2008 robot-assisted removal of his prostate gland. The family claims that Taylor suffered injuries as a result of Intuitive’s inadequate training, which was rushed and compromised by the company’s push to sell robots, Bloomberg.com reported.

More First Intuitive da Vinci Surgical Robot Trial Goes to Jury for Deliberation

An Alabama dialysis center recently closed after two patients died from infections. Full details about the cause of deaths have yet to be released, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Alabama Department of Public Health are investigating.

The Bessemer Kidney Center was closed earlier this month after reports surfaced that two patients had died and others had been hospitalized, according to AL.com, a blog owned by the Alabama Media Group.

More Alabama Dialysis Center Closes After Deaths of Two Patients

A lawsuit has been filed on behalf of a Mississippi woman who alleges she was injured after being implanted with two transvaginal mesh devices. The suit was filed on April 30 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, Charleston Division, where it has joined dozens of other pending cases in a multidistrict litigation (MDL). Ethicon Inc., Ethicon LLC and Johnson & Johnson have been named as defendants.

The Plaintiff, who is represented by the national law firm Parker Waichman LLP, is suing for negligence on three counts of strict liability (design defect, manufacturing defect and failure to warn), breach of express and implied warranty, fraudulent concealment and punitive damages. She alleges that she was implanted with the Prolift and TVT sling on November 20, 2008. According to the complaint, the device is defective and caused a number of injuries. The Defendant is accused of knowing about the risks associated with the mesh products but failing to warn the Plaintiff, her doctor, or consumers. More Lawsuit Filed on Behalf of Mississippi Woman Allegedly Injured by Transvaginal Mesh Devices

A woman has filed a lawsuit alleging that her use of Bayer’s Mirena IUD birth control device cause her to suffer from serious injuries.

According to the lawsuit, the woman was implanted with the Mirena IUD in October 2009. In April 2010, she went to her doctor’s office complaining of pain. Her physician was unable to see the strings, and could not find the IUD using ultrasound. An x-ray revealed that her Mirena IUD was within the abdominal cavity located outside the uterus. As a result, the woman had to undergo laparoscopic surgery to remove the Mirena IUD in May 2010.

More Woman Sues over Mirena IUD, Claims it Moved to Abdominal Cavity

Intuitive Surgical has reportedly issued an “urgent medical notification” for its da Vinci robotic surgical device.

On Wednesday, CNBC reported that Intuitive had identified a potential issue with one of the device’s robotic attachments that could result in internal burns, according to StreetInsider.com. Some of the da Vinci devices’ EndoWrist Monopolar Curved Scissors could develop micro-cracks. Those cracks represent a serious issue because they could result in electrosurgical energy leaking into tissue during procedures, potentially causing thermal injury, StreetInsider.com reported. Making matters more difficult is that these cracks may not be visible to the human eye.

More Intuitive Issues ‘Urgent’ Alert Regarding da Vinci Surgical Robot Defect that Could Cause Burns

A new proposal put forth by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would add new warnings of cancer risks on indoor tanning beds, while also implementing stricter federal oversight and impose age restrictions on those who use the devices.

The FDA is taking this action in an attempt to limit cases of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Melanoma has been on the rise for nearly 30 years. Around  2.3 million U.S. teenagers partake in indoor tanning each year, and melanoma is the second most common form of cancer among young adults, the American Academy of Dermatology said.

More FDA: No One Under Age 18 Should Use an Indoor Tanning Bed

A New York woman, who alleges that she was injured by a transvaginal mesh device, has filed a lawsuit against Boston Scientific Corporation.

According to the lawsuit, the woman was implanted with the PolyForm Synthetic Mesh in April 2010. The lawsuit claims that this device is defective and caused a number of serious injuries. It also alleges that Boston Scientific knew about these risks and failed to warn the woman, her doctor or other consumers. The woman is suing for negligence on three counts of strict liability (design defect, manufacturing defect and failure to warn), breach of express and implied warranty, loss of consortium (for her husband), fraudulent concealment and punitive damages.

More New York Woman Sues Boston Scientific Over Mesh Device

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a Class I recall of the Maquet SERVO-i Ventilator Battery Module.

The recall was issued when the company discovered that the battery modules distributed after Jan. 31, 2010, have a shorter battery run time than expected. Class I status, which is the most serious the FDA can give out, was issued because the shorter battery run time can result in unexpected ventilator shut downs, which can result in serious adverse health consequences, including death. The recall covers 90,000 battery modules distributed in the U.S. between Feb. 15, 2010, and Nov. 19, 2012.

More Class I Recall of the Maquet SERVO-i Ventilator Battery Module Issued

ArjoHuntleigh, in cooperation with Health Canada, is making an effort to reiterate safety information to prevent the risk of chair-tipping and patient falls caused by the Alenti Lift and Hygiene chair. These incidents can be caused by operator or use error and patient factors, and can lead to serious patient injury or death, the company warned.

Health Canada said that the majority of chair-tipping and patient fall incidents occurs in the hygiene bathing room and therefore special attention should be taken to precisely follow the instructions for use regarding the bathing and patient drying procedures.

More Alenti Lift and Hygiene Chair at Risk of Tipping, Causing Patient Falls

A Missouri woman is claiming that surgery staff at a St. Louis hospital performed a craniotomy surgery on the wrong side of her head.

According to a HuffingtonPost.com report, the woman says she was scheduled to receive a craniotomy bypass surgery on the left side of her head to prevent future strokes. She had been suffering strokes for the previous five years and the surgery she was to undergo would likely prevent more from happening.

More Missouri Woman Claims Surgery Staff Operated on Wrong Side of her Head