A sharp increase in the use of fetal ultrasounds in recent years in women with healthy pregnancies from an average of 2 scans to 5 scans per pregnancy and recent warnings from medical societies could prompt FDA to look more closely at possible risks to the fetus from ultrasound.

Despite contraction in the number of funds and VC firms investing in life sciences, 2013 was a strong year for private investing in medtech, with private investors putting $2.54 million into 129 medical device deals, according to Informa’s Strategic Transactions. Looking at where investors placed their money revealed some emerging trends.

Derived from Strategic Transactions, Elsevier Business Intelligence’s premium source for tracking life sciences deal activity, the Recent Financings Of Private Companies column provides a comprehensive monthly review of emerging life science companies that have received venture funding, including companies within the In Vitro Diagnostics, Medical Devices, and Pharmaceuticals sectors.

Derived from Strategic Transactions, Elsevier Business Intelligence’s premium source for tracking life sciences deal activity, the Medical Device Deals Update column is a survey of recent medtech M&A, alliance, and financing activity.