• Angiotech Pharmaceuticals (Vancouver, British Columbia) said it has received FDA clearance to begin marketing sizes 3-0 and 4-0 of its Quill self-retaining system (SRS) polydioxanone (PDO) product line. The Quill SRS PDO is an absorbable suture, which is typically used for deeper tissue closures. These smaller-diameter sizes incorporate a new design for better holding strength and expand the number and scope of procedures that can be done with the Quill SRS product. The Quill SRS uses bidirectional fixation within the wound. Its design allows the surgeon to begin closure at the midpoint of the wound and suture in two directions from the midpoint. Barbs within the Quill SRS distribute tension across the wound and eliminate the need for knots. Angiotech Pharmaceuticals is a specialty pharmaceutical and medical device company.

• Apieron (Menlo Park, California) said it has begun shipments of its Insight eNO system. The system provides office-based measurements of exhaled nitric oxide (eNO). Exhaled nitric oxide is a clinical indicator of airway inflammation and asthma control. With the use of eNO measurements, physicians can adjust inhaled corticosteroid therapy to optimize asthma control and avoid exacerbations or "asthma attacks." The Insight eNO system's biosensor technology measures eNO in parts per billion. Its single-use breath tubes are designed to be hygienic and convenient for the patient, and the disposable sensor generates a reading in less than a minute. Apieron makes products for non-invasive measuring of eNO for the management of asthma.

• BrachySciences (Oxford, Connecticut) reported the introduction of the AnchorSeed, which is designed to give existing low-dose-rate prostate brachytherapy sources the ability to maintain their position within tissue, thereby allowing physicians to place seeds in more strategic and beneficial locations. The company said physicians seek to be as accurate as possible regarding seed placement without underdosing or overdosing any areas, and that AnchorSeed offers a true anchoring effect to help significantly reduce seed misalignment and seed migration. BrachySciences makes brachytherapy implants for the treatment of early stage prostate cancer.

• Omnicell (Austin, Texas) introduced SafetyMed, a point-of-care solution that extends medication from Omnicell's automated medication dispensing system to the patient's bedside. The system integrates the company's new SafetyMed bedside point-of-care software with a "smart" mobile cart, allowing healthcare providers to improve patient care, increase staff efficiency and reduce medication errors. SafetyMed is accessed through a secure web browser via a hospital's existing wireless network, and is designed to verify medication and patient accuracy prior to administration through features that are integrated with Omnicell's medication dispensing systems. It uses bar code technology to validate real-time medication order details while confirming patient and medication identity. Omnicell makes patient safety systems for healthcare facilities.

• St. Jude Medical (St. Paul, Minnesota) reported the U.S. launch of the TigerWire steerable guidewire. The newest member of the St. Jude Medical GuideRight family of steerable guidewires, the TigerWire is designed to enhance physicians' ability to steer through challenging peripheral arteries, the vessels that supply blood to the legs and arms. The TigerWire's tip is designed with enhanced flexibility to aid in navigation through the vessels. Its supportive design provides distinct zones of flexibility that make it easier for physicians to track and position the guidewire through challenging anatomy. The insertion of a guidewire is a first step in interventional procedures in which physicians thread catheters through the arteries to diagnose the severity of disease or deliver treatments, including devices such as stents that open blockages and restore blood flow. St. Jude Medical has five major focus areas: cardiac rhythm management, atrial fibrillation, cardiac surgery, cardiology and neuromodulation.