A Medical Device Daily

Smiths Medical MD (St. Paul, Minnesota) said that it has broadened its line of hemodialysis catheters to include Split Stream Hemodialysis Catheters from medCOMP.

Split Stream catheters contain a split-tip design for high flow rates with low venous pressures, less than 1% recirculation, and low rates of catheter occlusions. The catheters allow for two insertion techniques – standard or retrograde (for optimal catheter tip placement), depending on physician preferences.

For the dialysis nurse, the removable hub can be removed and discarded once the catheter cuff is secure. That is designed to allow for easy cleaning of the catheter insertion site, and greater patient comfort, the company said. The Easy Grip luers allow a clinician to easily change the caps. Repair kits also are available.

The Split Stream catheters complement Smiths Medical's current line of TruFlow hemodialysis catheters, which contain a staggered tip design, include both long- and short-term catheters, and polyurethane catheters and tray components.

Smiths Medical MD focuses on the manufacture of medical devices used in infusion therapy.

Per-Se Technologies (Alpharetta, Georgia) reported that Diagnostic Pathology Partnership (DPP; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina) has selected its Connective Healthcare solutions system for pathology reimbursement.

DPP is a physician practice providing pathology services to two Myrtle Beach-area hospitals. As part of the agreement, Per-Se will provide the group with complete accounts receivable management services and enhanced reporting to manage the business.

“Per-Se has developed detailed pathology specific billing and compliance protocols over the past two decades,“ said Pat Leonard, president of the company's Physician Solutions division. “Per-Se's expertise in navigating the billing process helps ensure our pathology clients that all procedures are billed for and that the financial aspect of their business is proactively managed.“

BD Diagnostics (Baltimore), a segment of BD (Becton, Dickinson and Co.; Franklin Lakes, New Jersey) reported the signing of a multi-year agreement with Quest Diagnostics (Lyndhurst, New Jersey) to supply instrumentation and reagents for testing and diagnosis of sexually transmitted diseases (STD).

This enterprise-wide adoption of the BD Viper System by Quest Diagnostics “takes full advantage of the BD Viper System's robust industrial-class robotic design,“ BD said. Pipetting, incubations, amplification and detection all occur on the deck of the BD Viper System, with the majority of labor delegated to the robot.

The BD Viper System is designed to minimize technologist hands-on-time, enabling walkaway or “load and go“ workflow. The new system is expected to help facilitate rapid turn-around of test results and provide more flexibility in sample types for testing.

In other grants/contracts news:

• Medical Staffing Solutions (Vienna, Virginia), a provider of medical personnel, technology services and homeland security products to government and commercial clients, said it has been awarded a nurse staffing contract to service Northside Hospital (Atlanta).

Northside Hospital is a 444-bed, not-for-profit community hospital with more than 1,700 physicians on staff. It provides a full range of care including women's services, emergency care, surgery, cancer care, outpatient services and behavioral health services.

• Estech (San Ramon, California) has introduced a surgical device that features the new hemocompatible Lexan HPM 1914 polycarbonate resin from GE Plastics (Pittsfield, Massachusetts). Estech, a maker of cardiac surgery devices, selected the GE material for the paddle of its new single-use ClearView MV Atrial Depressor to help achieve a high level of device reliability and biocompatibility in minimally invasive mitral valve repair and replacement procedures, GE said.