Vascular

Not satisfied with just drug elution as a means of reducing neointimal hyperplasia, OrbusNeich has built in an Endothelial Progenitor Cell capture coating which appears in this blinded study to improve neointimal appearance at 9 months.

Merit Medical Systems will be recruiting up to 200 staff over the next five years at its newly opened €20M Galway facility, already an employer of 379. The aim is to make the facility the company’s centre of excellence for new product and technology development.

Covalon’s IV Clear™ Silicone dressing is comfortable to wear and remove and contains two antimicrobial components within its adhesive layer, making it a compelling proposition in the market for securement of such as IV access devices. Now the product has FDA clearance to add to its Health Canada approval.

It’s only a month or so since tissue processing and medical device company Cryolife coughed up $22M to acquire Cardiogenesis Corporation. Now the Atlanta based company has announced that it is to acquire Hemosphere Inc., manufacturer of the HeRO® Graft.

Boston Scientific Corporation has issued an announcement confirming CE Mark approval and European market launch of the Innova™ Self-Expanding Bare-Metal Stent System, which is designed to treat peripheral vascular lesions in arteries above the knee.

FDA has cleared Angiodslide’s tiny Proteus™ device for balloon angioplasty and embolic capture in peripheral vessels. It works by folding in on itself on deflation, in so doing drawing the embolic fragments into a sort of inverted balloon-bag. Clever.

Navilyst Medical has announced its entry into the embolisation market with the U.S. launch of its new Embarc® Microcatheter with Glyce™ Hydrophilic Coating, designed for use in small vessels.

Californian company Vessix Vascular Inc has announced the CE marking of its rather clever RF balloon for renal denervation. The company claims its approach means faster treatment than the other systems on the market and its clinical performance will shortly be presented at the EuroPCR Conference in Paris May 15-18.

More positive signs for Medtronic’s Renal Denervation System as clinical trial results suggest sustained and significant blood pressure reduction.

FDA has cleared Theragenics subsidiary Galt’s Valved Tearaway Introducer, opening the door for the company to gain access to a $14m market.

Coating devices with a hydrophilic polymer can make it easier to insert into the body. German vascular company Jotec GmbH has entered into an agreement with Hydromer Inc. to use its coating solution.

Some really informative items have been floating around this week. It’s especially noteworthy that Thoratec’s Heartmate II® Ventricular Assist Device has seen its 10,000th patient. It’s a sobering thought that many of these patients would not have had a chance without the technology.

Given the furore, it’s no surprise that St.Jude’s Cardiac Rhythm Management sales dipped in Q1 2012. While overall company sales grew, the net effect on the bottom line was a reduction from $233M to $212M compared with the equivalent quarter a year ago.

Medtronic’s clinical ambitions are laid bare at CX34 as it announces the imminent start of its 1500 patient evaluation of peripheral artery treatment using its IN.PACT Drug-eluting balloon.

More from CX34 as Medtronic’s Endurant AAA Stent Graft 2 year data gets a positive airing.

Stenting still has a way to go if it’s to persuade the vascular community it’s a routine alternative to Carotid Endarterectomy.