Cook Successfully Treats First Patient With New Generation Retrievable Vena Cava Filter.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Physicians in Australia have successfully completed the first human implantation of Cook's newest-generation retrievable vena cava filter. The Cook Celect(TM) Vena Cava Filter was used on an 81-year-old female patient hospitalized for pelvic and rib fractures to minimize the risk of pulmonary embolism. The procedure was carried out by a team led by Dr. Stuart Lyon at The Alfred Hospital in Victoria, Australia.

Engineered specifically to enhance the filter's retrievability, the Celect vena cava filter is based on Cook's proven Gunther Tulip Vena Cava Filter design, one of the world's leading devices of its kind. In animal trials, the Celect filter has been retrieved without difficulty or complication after being implanted for more than one year, which may prove beneficial to human patients whose risk of pulmonary embolism has lessened sufficiently over time to allow the filter to be withdrawn.

"Cook's Tulip filter has an excellent history of more than 12 years and tens of thousands of placements as a safe and effective vena cava filter for both permanent and temporary filtration," explained Bruce Fleck, global product manager. "While the Tulip filter has documented successful retrievals out to 475 days after implantation, Cook's new Celect filter design has taken the proven strengths of the Tulip filter and made changes to the secondary struts to improve centering in the vessel and to reduce endothelization of the filter except at the desired attachment points to enhance its retrievability over extended periods."

The placement is the first enrollment in an international clinical investigation of the Celect filter. Under the study protocol, the trial will include investigation sites in Germany, Mexico, Australia, the United Kingdom, Spain and France. Data from the trial will be used to gain approval for commercial distribution of the new filter in the U.S. and other markets.

The world's largest privately held manufacturer of medical devices with international headquarters in Bloomington, Ind., COOK(R) (www.cookmedical.com/) is a leading designer, manufacturer and global distributor of minimally invasive medical device technology for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Since its founding in 1963, Cook has created innovative technologies for drug-eluting and bare metal stents, aortic and vascular endografts, catheters, wire guides, introducer needles and sheaths, embolization coils, medical biomaterials and contract manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals, vena cava filters and other minimally invasive medical devices for radiology, cardiology, urology and Ob/Gyn, critical care medicine, surgery, gastroenterology, bone access and endovascular therapies.