The FDA has cleared a inferior vena cava filter with bi-directional retrieval from Crux Biomedical (Menlo Park, California). Vena cava filters (VCF) are designed to trap blood clots that can lead to potentially fatal pulmonary embolisms (PE) among patients at risk. The Crux VCF is the first of its kind designed to facilitate bi-directional retrieval through either the femoral or jugular veins, which is a major design innovation that will set it apart from competing devices, according to Robert Mendes, MD, an associate professor of surgery at the University of North Carolina and chief of vascular surgery at Rex UNC Healthcare (Chapel Hill).