Cordis updates catheters
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
Johnson & Johnson subsidiary introduces May 31 its Frontrunner XP CTO and Outback LTD re-entry catheters nationwide to treat lower leg artery blockages. Frontrunner is designed to cross through tough lesions with a jaw-like mechanism to allow balloons or stents to pass, while Outback helps redirect guidewires into the correct path through the plaque. The devices previously were marketed on a smaller scale by Lumend, which Cordis acquired last September (1"The Gray Sheet" Oct. 3, 2005, In Brief). Since the acquisition, Cordis has been ramping up production, as well as making device modifications. Frontrunner is tailored for peripheral use, with more sizes and a stronger radial force. The Cordis version of Outback includes a sharper needle tip and a locking mechanism on the deployment system. The revisions have improved the re-entry success rate with the device from 75% to 94%, according to the firm...