Danvers-based Abiomed, Inc. has agreed to pay $3.1 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by purchasing lavish meals for physicians in order to induce them to use Abiomed’s Impella line of heart pumps.  The United States contends that Abiomed sought to induce physicians to use its pumps, which cost more than $20,000 each, by buying meals for them at some of the country’s most expensive restaurants. The government further contends that Abiomed (1) paid for physicians’ meals in instances where attendees ordered alcohol in an amount inconsistent with legitimate scientific discussion; (2) paid for meals at expensive restaurants where employees invited spouses of physicians to attend (even though the spouses had no legitimate business purpose for attending the meal; (3) paid for numerous meals for physicians in which the cost per-attendee well exceeded Abiomed’s own $150 per person guideline (in one instance exceeding $450 per-attendee); and (4) paid for meals for physicians in which their employees misrepresented the number of attendees, listed attendees with generic names (e.g., Mike Anesthesia), or listed fictitious names of individuals who did not attend the meal, which had the effect of making the true per-attendee cost appear lower. Abiomed managers approved the expenses for all of these meals.