FDA approves Medtronic stent

<p>Medtronic Inc. gained approval from U.S. drug regulators to begin selling a new device developed in Santa Rosa intended to prevent an artery in the upper chest from rupturing -- a medical condition that affects 60,000 Americans a year.</p><p>The Food and Drug Administration approved the Talent Thoracic Stent Graft, which is a minimally invasive technique for repairing aortic aneurysms in the upper chest.</p><p>In April, the FDA also approved the Talent Abdominal Stent Graft to treat abdominal aortic aneurysms, which are present in an estimated 1.2 million Americans and kill 15,000 Americans every year.</p><p>-- Nathan Halverson</p>