• Cook Medical (Bloomington, Indiana) reported the U.S. launch of the self-adhesive Surgisis Biodesign staple line reinforcement. The self-adhesive graft is a natural solution for the reinforcement of gastric staple lines during gastric bypass procedures. The graft is designed to improve staple line strength while decreasing bleeding, leakage and the subsequent risk of infection. Sturgisis offers resistance to infection and complete remodeling with the benefits of moderate price, ease of use and ample shelf life for on-site availability. Upon deployment, the graft provides a seal along the staple line. Then, over time, the graft communicates with the patient's body, signaling surrounding tissue to grow across the scaffold where the tissue is stapled. While supporting the tissue, the naturally derived staple line reinforcement begins to remodel into strong, fully vascularised tissue, providing a secure reinforcement. Cook makes interventional devices.

• Delcath Systems (New York) reported results from a study of the chemotherapy agent melphalan, delivered via its percutaneous hepatic perfusion (PHP) system, in patients with inoperable liver metastases from primary neuroendocrine tumors. The Delcath PHP system was designed to isolate blood flow from the liver, deliver very high doses of anti-cancer agent, then filter a majority of the agent out of the blood from the treated area. This process allows patients with large and diffuse liver tumors to receive a concentrated, site-specific treatment where resection, ablation, and embolization are not feasible or have failed to halt spread of the cancer. Delcath is a developmental stage company testing its percutaneous perfusion technology for the isolated delivery of high doses of therapeutic and chemotherapeutic agents.

• Encision (Boulder, Colorado) said that it is launching its new disposable hand-activated fixed-tip electrode line of laparoscopic instruments. The new electrode line features hand activation for surgeons who prefer to energize the electrode via a fingertip switch rather than pressing their foot on a foot pedal. The new product line consists of a disposable handle with integral cord and disposable electrodes available in six popular tip styles. The disposable electrodes are available in both 35cm lengths for routine procedures and 45cm lengths for bariatric procedures. Encision makes surgical devices that allow surgeons to optimize technique and patient safety during a broad range of surgical procedures.

• A two component silicone rubber system called MasterSil 151MED made by Master Bond (Hackensack, New Jersey), has been certified for medical applications per the USP Class VI specification. The base resin, upon addition of the curing agent, cures at ambient or more quickly at elevated temperatures to a tough, flexible, optically clear silicone rubber. The low viscosity of this silicone elastomer compound assures complete fill-in around complicated contours in even very complex configurations. This characteristic together with its 160% elongation, low linear shrinkage of less than 0.1%, low outgassing, electrical insulation, in addition to its resistance to vibration and shock makes MasterSil 151MED suitable both medically and physically for the most demanding casting, potting and encapsulation applications. Master Bond makes medical adhesives for disposable, reusable and implantable medical device assembly.