How many weird medical device stories did you read this week?

As a note, I was quite sick and I am finally back...to report two really weird medical device stories that I myself came across this week. To say the least, I have no idea what to make of them, so maybe you can help me out here.

Link1: Of Medtronic, Judges and their sons...

Link 2: Stryker's "amazing" tact to distance itself from it's own sales reps

Let's take the first story.

First, off sorry about the weird, expensive, unpopular anti-Obama Republican haven journal Wall Street Journal link. It is the only one reporting the story as far as I can tell....I learned this story myself first from the SmartBrief summaries. I dug up news.google and found nothing anywhere else. If you find another place reporting this, please let me know. It's not just the thin reporting that wins this story weird points...

Okay, so maybe Medtronic itself doesn't have much to do with it. I really suspect it though. For both the judge and the lawyer to not know their personal relationship and fiduciary compounded with judiciary relationships with Medtronic...well, gets slightly edgy, doesn't it?

The Judge can't have it both ways - this is not a Perry Mason "The Judge who did not know" story. This is "Either the Judge is stupid or dishonest" story.

Well, isn't this all just a ploy by the plaintiffs? Yeah, maybe..

Isn't it simply wrong then?

Do you think stealing consumers of their rightspre-emption is right?

Like I said, I don't care what Medtronic thinks or puts out in its vehement press releases. They probably have very little to do with this nonsense (other than, maybe paying some incredibly incompetent law firms).

I want someone to scrutinize this "Judge" Kyle. Because in the race to nominate people in public positions who lack self-awareness, he might have joined the likes of Merkel, Judd Gregg and the entire set of House Republicans....

And, now to move on to the second strange "medical device" "weird" story of the week.

Okay, so what was Stryker trying to do here? Play the harp or whatever as its sales reps burned in the courts?

Why is it so weird?

Well, for one, the name of the employer of the sales rep prosecuted is mysteriously missing. So is the "medical device" that was sold deceptively. (Until reporters had to do a lot of "court document" digging.) Why the secrecy?

What is the big idea?

So, they will convict the guy, but not disclose to the tax-paying public what medical device was misused and under the auspices of which employer?

Did we all undergo some weird time-space transformation into some middle eastern country in the 16th (or 21st, doesn't matter) century?

How is it possible that in this day and age, companies can wash their hands off employees they were supposed to discipline and regulate? How is it that even the medical device that was inappropriately marketed is not disclosed?

Am I the only one feeling a chill down the spine?

Talking of spines - can we rely on the devices designed by any one of the ............... er, orthopedic device makers out there?