A Medical Device Daily

ThermoGenesis (Rancho Cordova, California) said it has signed exclusive distribution agreements for its CE-marked CryoSeal FS System with Investigacion Bio-tecnologica (IBT SL) for Spain and Portugal and with Interlux Joint-Stock Co. (Vilnius, Lithuania) for Lithuania and Latvia.

The company said these new agreements allow it to advance its strategy of addressing the $120 million fibrin sealant market in Europe.

ThermoGenesis said IBT SL is one of Spain's largest distributors of products and technologies used for the collection, processing, storage and transport of blood components to enhance the safety and efficacy of the blood supply.

Interlux is an ISO-certified company that sells and services specialty cardiology and surgery disposables, clinical and research laboratory disposables, diagnostics and apheresis equipment and blood banking equipment. It has supplied products throughout Lithuania and Latvia since 1994.

In the last seven months, ThermoGenesis has increased its presence in the European fibrin sealant market by seven countries: the Netherlands, Ireland, Lithuania, Latvia, Switzerland, Portugal and Spain.

Rudy Huylebroeck, director of global sales and marketing for the company's Hospital/Wound Care Division, said, “[We have] decided that the best way to penetrate and expand the fibrin sealant market with our unique technology, which manufactures the fibrin sealant from the patient's own blood, is to sign exclusive distributorships with companies which have excellent relationships with the surgeons and the operating room staff, are very familiar with blood processing and banking and are focused in only one or two countries.“

Because of the volume of fibrin sealant made available with the CryoSeal FS System, physicians in both Europe and Japan, where the system is approved for sale, have reported finding the product well suited for large bleeding surgical applications such as cardiac, ENT, orthopedic, neurological and gastrointestinal surgeries.

In the U.S., a 150-patient pivotal clinical trial has been completed for use of the system in non-trauma, non-transplant liver surgeries and a premarket approval application is under FDA review.

New UK blood service agreement for Pall

Pall (East Hills, New York) said it has been awarded a new long-term agreement with the UK National Blood Service (NBS) to provide blood collection systems incorporating the company's filtration technology.

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

“This is a major contract and incremental new business for our Leukotrap family of filter systems,“ said Allan Ross, president of Pall Medical. “The NBS has always been on the leading edge in blood safety measures and we are pleased to be able to provide them with technologies to help fulfill their core purpose to save and improve patients' lives.“

The NBS collects about 2 million units of blood each year. It is an integral part of the National Health Service and through its blood centers provides blood, blood components, products and tissues throughout England and North Wales.

Pall said it is the leading global provider of filtration systems that reduce leukocytes from red cells, plasma and platelets, providing customers with what the company terms “maximum flexibility“ in the manufacturing of blood products.

The company also provides technologies that detect bacterial contamination of platelets, a leading infectious cause of morbidity from a transfusion, and reduce prions, the infectious agent believed to cause variant CJD, the human form of 'mad cow disease', from red blood cells.

MEDTEC show posts attendance gains

Attendance increased to more than 6,000 as buyers from across Europe met with nearly 400 international medical suppliers during the 10th annual MEDTEC (Medical Equipment Design & Technology Exhibition & Conference) trade show in Stuttgart, Germany, last week.

The MEDTEC conference focused on applying new trends in medical technologies, process validation, regulatory updates, materials characterization and testing, Six Sigma, risk management and preparing for FDA medical device inspections.

During the show, which is sponsored by Canon Communications , expanded exhibition space for the 2007 exhibition was announced. With two adjacent halls to be used next year, the total space available within the Messe Stuttgart center will grow by about 15%.

Canon said exhibitors demonstrated their support for the gathering by signing up at a high rate for next year's event; some 75% of available exhibit space already has been reserved for 2007.

“Every year, the quality of our business discussions is very high,“ said Reinhold Kranzbuhler, marketing director for German packaging and drape producer Sengewald Klinikprodukte .

“The show is highly specialized for OEMs,“ said Dr. Ahmed Abouzied, vice chairman for bulk and sterile component producer Enteplin Egypt .