BEC Announces Its DISA S-Flex Coronary Stent, Africa's First CE Marked Heart Implant.Business Editors and Health/Medical Writers CAPE TOWN, South Africa--(BW HealthWire)--Sept. 18, 2000 The Biomedical Engineering Biomedical engineering An interdisciplinary field in which the principles, laws, and techniques of engineering, physics, chemistry, and other physical sciences are applied to facilitate progress in medicine, biology, and other life sciences. Company (BEC), a South African developer of cardiovascular products, is on the verge On the Verge (or The Geography of Yearning) is a play written by Eric Overmyer. It makes extensive use of esoteric language and pop culture references from the late nineteenth century to 1955. of a worldwide breakthrough after announcing international approval for its new generation coronary stent coronary stent Intracoronary stent Cardiology An expandable tubular device which can be inserted percutaneously, and left within a coronary artery lumen to maintain its patency Pros Clinical and angiographic outcomes are better with intracoronary artery stent . The development of the precise, laser-sculpted implant which is used to open and maintain blood flow in the coronary arteries, builds on a long tradition of heart research in the Western Cape, home of the world's first heart transplant. BEC, founded in 1998 by South African biomedical bi·o·med·i·cal adj. 1. Of or relating to biomedicine. 2. Of, relating to, or involving biological, medical, and physical sciences. engineers, has received Class III CE Mark approval for its DISA 1. (body) DISA - Defense Information Systems Agency. 2. (standard) DISA - Data Interchange Standards Association. S-Flex coronary stent. Dr. Gregory Starke, CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of BEC, says: "Although a number of international distributorships have already been established by our distribution partner, DISA Vascular, this exciting development now allows us to rapidly expand our global marketing activities." The DISA S-Flex coronary stent is a new-generation device, designed using extensive computer-aided modeling technology to minimize restenosis by reducing the degree of vessel-wall injury during and after stent implantation. A 10-20% incidence of restenosis, causing instent arterial narrowing remains the major negative side-effect of stenting. All major stent companies are racing to find a solution to restenosis. Starke pointed out that preliminary clinical outcomes have shown excellent primary results. The unique S-Flex linkage provides unusually high flexibility for easy delivery and low-injury vessel-wall conformity, while the 8-cell structure provides more circumferential support than existing 6-cell stents. Based on a large body of independent, recent research, the developers believe that this combination is the key to a less restenotic implant. Dr. Basil Levetan, the director of the Cardiac Catheterisation Noun 1. catheterisation - the operation of introducing a catheter into the body catheterization surgical operation, surgical procedure, surgical process, surgery, operation - a medical procedure involving an incision with instruments; performed to repair Laboratory at Groote Schuur Hospital This article or section needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications. Alone, primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of this article are not sufficient for an accurate encyclopedia article. in Cape Town adds: "Over the last year my experiences with the DISA S-Flex coronary stent have been very favorable. It is easy to deliver and has produced excellent angiographic results." BEC continues to develop innovative medical devices for the minimally-invasive treatment of vascular disease. BEC will release its peripheral stent in the first quarter of 2001. In October 1999, BEC received venture funding from Catalyst Innovation Incubator (Pty) Ltd and DISA Vascular. Catalyst invests in early-stage life-science businesses. Starke noted: "It's been a tremendous boost working together with the internationally experienced Catalyst team in fast-tracking BEC's growth." |
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