• AngioDynamics (Queensbury, New York) introduced its Smart Port CT at the 32nd annual scientific meeting of the Society of Interventional Radiology being held in Seattle. The new vascular access port is indicated for power injection of contrast media with a flow rate of 5mL/sec. Initial shipments are expected during the company’s fiscal fourth quarter. The Smart Port CT has a patented design that allows for fluid dynamics that eliminate dead space and the formation of sludge, thus extending the working life of the port, the company said. In a clinical trial comparing the Vortex technology to conventional ports, the Vortex had a 7% occlusion rate compared with a 26% occlusion rate for conventional ports. The Smart Port CT will be available in two catheter sizes — 9.6F and 7.5F. It features Fluoromax 100% silicone catheters with a radiopaque shaft and tip. AngioDynamics makes radiofrequency ablation systems, vascular access products, angiographic products and accessories, dialysis products, angioplasty products, drainage products, thrombolytic products, embolization products and venous products.

• Cardiocom Multi-Disease Management (Minneapolis), which focuses on telehealth solutions for chronic disease management, launched its enterprise level Omnivisor Pro telemonitoring patient management system designed to assist physicians, hospitals, health plans, home health agencies and disease management companies to operate more cost- effectively by enabling improved management of clinical data transmitted daily from the patient’s home. The Omnivisor Pro System connects patients and their health care professionals. It is designed to enable the nurse to coordinate care and assist the treating physician by supplying real-time data about an at-risk patient.

• The Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland) recently received four U.S. patents in ophthalmology, cardiology and for developing a support pad for surgical patients. The first patent (U.S. Patent No. 7,172,874) was received for a new method of screening and diagnosing age-related macular degeneration. The new technique helps determine if a patient has or is at risk for developing age-related macular degeneration. A second patent (U.S. Patent No. 7,169,106) was issued for a new device designed to measure intraocular pressure using a miniature sensor that is mounted on a contact lens. The third patent (U.S. Patent No. 7,175,597) was issued for a new noninvasive ultrasound device that provides cardiologists with images of blood vessels, allowing them to assess the vessels’ composition and plaque contents, the clinic said. A fourth patent (U.S. Patent No. 7,168,116) pertains to the development of a new surgical support pad that conforms to a patient’s body and distributes body weight to alleviate pressure points and improve patient comfort during medical and surgical procedures.

• Cook Urology (Spencer, Indiana), a division of Cook Medical, reported the introduction of the 1.5 French NCircle tipless stone extractor for kidney stone treatment. Using Cook’s nitinol tipless technology, the 1.5 French NCircle enables the capture of even the most challenging kidney or ureteral stones to render patients stone free. The extractor is made from nitinol, a shape-memory alloy that combines nickel and titanium. The minuscule basket retains its shape following extreme torsion, yet is flexible enough for a physician to guide during stone manipulation without damage to surrounding renal tissue. Cook Medical makes minimally invasive medical device technology for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.