Anyone who is even slightly aware of the dynamics of the medical device industry knows that Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) and Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE:EW) are not exactly the best of friends. The Minnesota behemoth and its smaller California rival have engaged in bitter legal wrangling over intellectual property and patents. Especially with respect to the transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) technology, Edwards and Medtronic have sued one another. So it was surprising when Medtronic’s vice president of business development Chad Cornell admitted that he was rooting for Edwards.
