A respected Indian business publication is reporting that Medtronic is negotiating with an Indian medical technology company to make a strategic investment in it. Trivitron Healthcare is reportedly India’s largest med tech company. The Fridley-based company has not commented specifically on the deal, however, CEO Omar Ishrak has made no secrets about his interest in India.

The Mayo Clinic is among medical centers testing a device for patients whose high blood pressure does not respond to drugs. Medtronic's device uses a groundbreaking treatment to disrupt nerve signals that elevate blood pressure. But to qualify for the trial, patients must meet strict requirements that are challenging clinics and frustrating rejected patients.

British regulators warn the device has a battery defect that can fail to properly shock a heart back into a normal rhythm. Patients are encouraged to see their cardiologists to ensure an audible "low-battery" alert is working properly. Fridley-based Medtronic denied any wrong doing, but settled lawsuits regarding battery issues in its Marquis line of defibrillators less than four years ago.

The federal class action suit was filed by the Minneapolis Firefighters Relief Association in 2008. It accused the Fridley-based medical device maker of making misleading or false statements about the company's Infuse spine surgery device. Medtronic denies any wrongdoing.

The U.S. Department of Justice spent four years looking into whether the Fridley-based manufacturer encouraged doctors to use the product in ways not described on the FDA-approved label. Medtronic denies any wrongdoing, but still faces civil lawsuits and agreed to pay $85 million in March to settle a federal securities lawsuit.

Minnesota high school graduates continue to beat the national average in the ACT college entrance exam, even though 2012 graduates scored slightly lower than 2011 graduates, MPR reports. Minnesota ranked at the top among states where a majority of students take the test.

Four juveniles were arrested following a fight at Walker-Hackensack-Akeley High School Wednesday. Police responded after the school requested help for an altercation between students that began in the high school cafeteria.

The Fridley-based medical device maker plans to eliminate positions in facilities around the globe, including 220 positions at its Mounds View-based division. Medtronic topped expectations in the fourth quarter, but continues to struggle with the sale of heart rhythm devices as well as devices used in spine surgery.