A Medical Device Daily

Minnesota Medical Development (MMDI; Plymouth, Minnesota) reported that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a notice of allowance for the company's BetaWire guidewire technology. The BetaWire is a super-torque interventional guide wire manufactured from a beta titanium alloy.

Guide wires are used to facilitate the placement of balloon catheters and other diagnostic and therapeutic devices during coronary or peripheral interventional procedures.

"This is truly breakthrough guide wire technology not seen before," said Steve Nuss, MMDI's chief marketing officer. "Beta titanium is an ideal alloy for interventional guidewires, its unique properties combine the best attributes found in conventional guidewire alloys such as nitinol and stainless steel," he added.

Interventional cardiologists that have evaluated the BetaWire for MMDI have been "extremely impressed" with its performance attributes, the company said, such as precise one-to-one torque transmission, guidewire advancement, tip shaping and retention, flexibility and kink resistance.

Millions of interventional guide wires are used every year throughout the world and MMDI said it believes that the BetaWire has the potential to make a significant impact on the market.

The company also expects to receive international patent protection for the BetaWire soon.

It said it will be seeking potential strategic partners for licensing, sales or distribution of their guidewire technology.