A Medical Device Daily

Brennen Medical (St. Paul, Minnesota), a leader in the development of oat beta glucan technology, said that it has sold its GlucaTex and GlucaMesh product line used in the surgical repair of hernias, to Genzyme (Cambridge, Massachusetts). Genzyme will begin worldwide marketing of these beta glucan impregnated meshes for hernia repair.

Terms of the sale were not disclosed.

Brennen said that its use of oat beta glucan is having a "profound impact" on the company's goal of providing improved technologies to the medical and surgical healthcare arenas. It cites research indicating that this plant-derived complex carbohydrate offers distinct advantages during tissue repair via cellular interaction of beta glucan and the body's host cells, enabling successful surgical repairs and earlier recovery.

Phillip Lawin, president of Brennen, said the technology "could revolutionize the implantability and host acceptance of numerous devices and applications, and I am encouraged by the next generations of glucan-coated implantables that we have in development."

Founded in 1993 Brennen introduced oat beta glucan to manage the severe burn injury, leading to the application of this technology on surgical meshes. Oat beta glucan products currently offered include wound dressings, creams, gel and surgical meshes.

In other dealmaking activity:

• Clean Water Technologies (Rolling Hills Estates,s California) reported completing its purchase of SheerVision (Rolling Hills Estates, California) through a share exchange and reorganization agreement.

SheerVision is now a subsidiary of Clean Water, and the business of SheerVision is now the business of Clean Water. Of 0,026,460 Clear Water shares outstanding, 95% are owned by SheerVision shareholders.

Suzanne Lewsadder, CEO of Clean Water, said, "The completion of the reverse merger process represents a significant step in implementing our business plan to become the premier manufacturer and marketer of surgical loupes, light sources and related optical products for the dental, medical and other markets. Our new status as a public company we expect will contribute to our efforts to continue to penetrate our primary markets and expand our presence in target markets during 2006. We anticipate our commitment to ongoing R&D activities will ensure a steady pipeline of new products over the coming years . . . ."

Clean Water said it will change its name to SheerVision Inc. to reflect its new business activities.

SheerVision makes surgical loupes and light sources for dental and medical markets and said it has captured "a lead position" in the dental hygiene market segment.

• Merit Medical Systems (South Jordan, Utah) reported completing an asset acquisition, with cash, of a hemostasis valve from Millimed (Roskilde, Denmark).

Merit said that the agreement calls for transfer and startup requirements, with a maximum payment of $1.5 million.

Hemostasis valves are used during interventional procedures to allow passage into the vasculature of various devices, including stents and PTCA balloons, while minimizing blood loss. Merit said that the product extends its leadership in this space and is complementary to its inflation device business. It said that regulatory approvals are in place with market release estimated to be in early May.

"This product, which will be marketed under the Honor brand name, will be the first of its type in the United States, although it has been marketed in Europe for several years," said Fred Lampropoulos, Merit's CEO and chairman. "Our initial impressions from U.S. physicians have been positive."

The product will be manufactured in Merit's Galway, Ireland, facility.

Founded in 1987, Merit manufactures disposable medical accessories used in interventional and diagnostic procedures, particularly in cardiology and radiology. It has facilities in Salt Lake City and South Jordan, Utah; Angleton, Texas; Richmond, Virginia; Maastricht, Netherlands; Venlo, the Netherlands; and Galway, Ireland.

Millimed develops novel polymers and other biomaterials as molecular carriers to be used to create advanced drug-elution systems from medical devices.

• The Center for Wound Healing (Edison, New Jersey), engaged in the development and management of hospital-based wound care centers with hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the U.S., reported closing the acquisition of substantially all of the member interests of certain limited liability companies which manage hospital-based wound care centers with hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

To complete the acquisition, the company reported closing on new equity of $5.5 million with institutional investors. The company said it will use a portion of the proceeds also for the repayment of a bridge loan and for working capital.

The Center For Wound Healing was organized in 2005.

• Reflect Scientific (Mountain View, California), a manufacturer of laboratory equipment and related supplies, reported the integration of JMST Systems ' instrument product line into its Orem, Utah, manufacturing facility. Reflect's purchase of JMST was completed last week (Medical Device Daily, April 6, 2006).

Reflect said it has begun the move of chemical detection instrumentation manufacturing from JMST in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Orem, a move expected to lower the cost of goods and improve profitability of the former JMST product line. Full manufacturing integration is expected to be completed by May 19. Reflect said the acquisition is expected to "significantly increase" sales beyond JMST's historical levels. JMST reported prior-year revenues of about $480,000.

JMST is an OEM supplying leading biotech and pharmaceutical firms. The primary product line is comprised of optically based chemical detection instruments.

Tom Tait, vice president of Reflect, said, "The JMST products are part of a $2.6 billion market that has strong growth potential. With our extensive knowledge of the market and customer contacts, we believe that the JMST product line can significantly affect Reflect's earnings this year."

Company CEO Kim Boyce added, "In addition, we anticipate another smooth completion to the previously announced acquisition of the Cryomastor business in the near term."

Reflect provides products for the medical device, biotech and pharmaceutical and industries.