Device fundraising during the fourth quarter totaled $2.6 billion, making it the strongest quarter of the year. Q4 M&A activity reached $3.9 billion, higher than Q3's $3.4 billion, but still one of the lowest quarters of the year. Both fourth quarter diagnostics financings and M&As hit an all-year low of $622 million, and $2.8 million, respectively.

The numbers of medical device approvals were up in most regions outside the US and the biggest surge, by percentage, was in approvals from emerging markets and the so-called BRIC countries. It remains to be seen if the trend will continue in 2018, but many companies are already counting on important non-US approvals coming in the next year.

Harpoon is a minimally invasive surgery device that complements Edwards pipeline of transcatheter mitral and septal valve repair and replacement technologies, which now includes at least six technologies at various stages of development, and is one of the company's top R&D priorities.

The Cardioband system is a transcatheter annuloplasty device for repair of mitral and tricuspid valves that should be a natural fit with Edwards transcatheter mitral valve development program. Israel-based Valtech had a deal in September 2015 to be acquired by HeartWare for $900m, but that deal fell through after HeartWare investors protested.