Ever since the transformative success of interventional cardiology, the emergence of new interventional subspecialties seems to come at ever quicker paces. One of the latest clinical spaces to embrace the interventional revolution is pulmonology, which over the past couple of years has seen a host of new procedures and devices transforming traditional procedures. Indeed, the pace at which interventional cardiology evolved now seems almost leisurely compared with that at which interventional pulmonology companies are now moving. Thus, many of the companies in the space face an interesting dilemma: how to establish a foundation in this new specialty and, at the same time, how to refine that technology to keep pace with the field as it grows. That's the challenge facing superDimension, whose executives believe they own not just the road map, but the road itself.

A roundup of recent medtech strategic alliances, mergers & acquisitions and financings.

A preview of the emerging health care companies profiled in the current issue of Start-Up. This month's profile group, Exploratory INDs, features profiles of Accium Biosciences, ADMETRx and Vitalea Science. Plus these Start-Ups Across Health Care: Cappella, Cara Therapeutics, Incisive Surgical, Ocera Therapeutics and Ulthera.

Incisive Surgical was founded because of a plastic surgeon's frustration with existing methods of closing incisions. While sutures achieve the best cosmetic result, they consume a lot of expensive operating room time. Staples are fast, but scar tissue at a greater rate than sutures. With an absorbable subcuticular stapling system, Incisive hopes to combine the cosmetic results of sutures with the speed of staples.