HORIZON LAUNCHES LIFEJET F-16 HEMODIALYSIS CATHETER.Horizon Medical Products, Inc. (AMEX AMEX See: American Stock Exchange :HMP HMP - hybrid multiprocessing ), Atlanta, has launched its LifeJet(TM) F-16 chronic hemodialysis catheter. The product received 510(k) clearance in December 2002 from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Hemodialysis catheters are used to remove blood from the patient, deliver it to a dialysis machine for purification and then return the clean blood to the patient. The LifeJet(TM) F-16 features a patented arc-shaped septum septum /sep·tum/ (sep´tum) pl. sep´ta [L.] a dividing wall or partition. alveolar septum interalveolar s. that allows the catheter to move more blood at a lower pressure with more efficiency than currently marketed dialysis catheters. The strong lumen walls facilitate insertion and resist kinking. The distal tip of the LifeJet(TM) F-16 catheter has been specially designed to help resist fibrin sheath fibrin sheath Nursing A tubular scar that is a potential complication of long-term catheterization, in which the catheter becomes encased in a fibrotic sheath, which may harbor bacteria and make it difficult to withdraw blood from the line. See Central line. formation, a common and costly complication associated with conventional hemodialysis catheters. Kyle Coddington, product manager for HMP, stated, "The LifeJet(TM) F-16 represents a major leap forward in catheter technology that will improve the quality of life for patients across the county. The success of this project would not have been possible without the feedback from the physicians, nurses and patients whom HMP has served for the last 12 years. Initial patient experiences with the F-16 have shown a significant improvement in flow and pressure characteristics when compared to competitors' reported results." The hemodialysis catheter market is estimated to be $95 million. The LifeJet(TM) F-16 is also approved for use as an apheresis apheresis (əfĕr`əsĭs), or hemapheresis (hē'məfĕr`əsĭs), any procedure in which blood is drawn from a donor or patient and a component (platelets, plasma, or white blood catheter, which expands the market to well over $100 million. Apheresis is the process commonly used to collect stem cells stem cells, unspecialized human or animal cells that can produce mature specialized body cells and at the same time replicate themselves. Embryonic stem cells are derived from a blastocyst (the blastula typical of placental mammals; see embryo), which is very young that are later returned to the patient as part of cancer treatment. ABOUT HORIZON: Horizon Medical Products, Inc. headquartered in Atlanta, is a world leader in the design, development, manufacture and sale of technologically advanced, high value-added percutaneous vascular and spinal access systems. The company's oncology product lines include implantable ports, some of which feature its proprietary VTX VTX Videotex VTX Virginia Tech X-Ray Crystallography Laboratory VTX Voice Transmit Mode VTX Video Text (TM) technology; tunneled central venous catheters; and stem-cell transplant catheters used primarily in cancer treatment protocols. The company also markets a complete line of acute and chronic dialysis catheters. For more information, call 404/264-2600 or visit http://www.hmpvascular.com |
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