• Cardiac Dimensions (Kirkland, Washington) said it has completed its European CArillon Mitral Annuloplasty Device European Union Study (AMADEUS). AMADEUS was a safety and performance study of the CARILLON mitral contour system conducted at six centers in Germany, Poland and the Netherlands. The Carillon system is a percutaneous treatment of functional mitral regurgitation (FMR), currently under investigational use in Europe, South America, and Australia only. The Carillon combines an implantable device and delivery system. The implant consists of a shaping ribbon between distal and proximal anchors. The device is delivered percutaneously via jugular access under fluoroscopic guidance. The implant is designed to be positioned, adjusted and anchored in the coronary sinus/great cardiac vein to reshape the annulus around the mitral valve to reduce mitral regurgitation.

• Cordis (Miami Lakes, Florida) reported the U.S. launch of the Sleek and Savvy long PTA balloon dilatation catheters, its percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) balloon catheters. The Sleek balloon is one of the first .014" guidewire compatible rapid-exchange balloons fully dedicated to infrapopliteal vessels, while the Savvy long balloon provides an .018" guidewire compatible over-the-wire alternative for both superficial femoral and infrapopliteal arteries. With balloon lengths up to 220 mm, the Sleek and Savvy balloons may enable physicians to treat long, diffuse lesions with fewer inflations and faster procedures compared to traditional PTA balloons, Cordis said. Cordis makes interventional vascular and gastroenterology technology.

• Facet Solutions (Logan, Utah) reported the successful completion of a scientific evaluation for a total joint reconstruction in the lumbar spine. The study evaluated the combination of Facet's anatomic facet replacement system (AFRS) with a semi-constrained disc replacement device in a finite element model. The company has developed the AFRS to provide patients with lumbar spinal stenosis and facet degeneration, a motion-preserving alternative to lumbar spinal fusion. The AFRS procedure includes replacement of the diseased facet joint with an anatomic implant that restores the natural motion, stability and balance to the lumbar spine. Facet Solutions makes motion-preservation spinal implants.

• GE Healthcare (Waukesha, Wisconsin) said it has received FDA clearance for the 3.0T magnetic resonance (MR) scanner. The Signa MR750 3.0T was introduced at the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine in Toronto. The Signa MR750 features a RF transmit system maximizing performance with a 17% gain in scanning efficiency. The system also includes the GE-exclusive Optical RF technology that adds up to 27% higher signal-to-noise ratio over conventional, non-optical MR receivers by reducing electrical noise and increasing signal detection.

• Volcano (San Diego) reported its participation in the Study of Coronary Atheroma by InTravascular Ultrasound: Effect of Rosuvastatin Versus AtorvastatiN (SATURN) trial. This is the first pharmaceutical trial allowing physicians to use the Volcano Revolution 45 MHz IVUS imaging catheter as part of the protocol. The study by AstraZeneca is designed to measure the impact of Crestor (rosuvastatin) 40 mg and atorvastatin (Lipitor) 80 mg on the progression of atherosclerosis in high-risk patients. SATURN will compare the effects of these two statins on the ability to decrease progression or induce regression of atherosclerosis, the main cause of cardiovascular disease, following two years of treatment in patients with coronary artery disease. Volcano specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of coronary and peripheral vascular disease.