Eclipse Surgical Technologies (Sunnyvale, California) has entered into a three-year vendor agreement with HealthTrust Purchasing Group (HPG). HPG's participating members may purchase transmyocardial revascularization (TMR) laser products, supplies and services from Eclipse Surgical. HealthTrust Purchasing Group is a group purchasing organization with a current membership of more than 500 facilities, including Columbia/HCA Healthcare, Triad Hospitals and LifePoint Hospitals, and contracting volume totaling more than $3.3 billion. Eclipse is maker of both TMR and PTMR (percutaneous transmyocardial revascularization) products. Its PTMR products are CE-marked and distributed internationally and are being reviewed by the FDA for approval in the U.S.

Focus Surgery (Indianapolis, Indiana) and Medtronic Xomed (Minneapolis, Minnesota) have completed a development agreement for the use of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for several ear, nose and throat (ENT) and related applications. The companies have begun to specify and design prototype devices necessary for testing these applications' technology. Focus Surgery makes image-guided, noninvasive surgical equipment using HIFU for the minimally invasive treatment of prostate diseases, including benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer. Medtronic Xomed makes surgical products for use by ENT physicians.

IntraTherapeutics (St. Paul, Minnesota) has selected the C.R. Bard (Murray Hill New Jersey) Opti-Plast XT (Xtra Thin) percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) balloon dilatation catheter as the stent delivery system for its new DoubleStrut ParaMount stent. The DoubleStrut ParaMount stent will initially seek 510(k) market clearance for biliary indication in the U.S. and CE approval for peripheral vascular indications internationally. DoubleStrut is in clinical trials in the U.S. to determine its effectiveness for iliac and renal artery stenting. IntraTherapeutics is a privately held company that makes devices for the treatment of peripheral vascular disease and non-vascular obstructions. C. R. Bard makes health care products in the fields of urology, oncology, and cardiology and in surgical specialty products.

MedAmicus (Plymouth, Minnesota) has signed an agreement with Med-Design (Ventura, California) for the right to make and distribute Med-Design's center-line retractable Safety Seldinger Introducer Needle. MedAmicus will market the Safety Seldinger Needle initially to its customer base in the venous access market, including pacing, port and dialysis applications, as it explores with Med-Design channels of distribution into other potential markets. MedAmicus makes medical products for the gynecology, urology and cardiology markets. Med-Design makes safety needle products designed to enable medical workers to efficiently perform a wide range of medical procedures at greatly reduced risk of exposure to accidental needle sticks. The company's safety needle products cover applications in blood collection, infusion therapy, venous and arterial insertion, and injection.

Meridian Diagnostics (Cincinnati, Ohio) has entered into exclusive long-term research, development and supply agreements with STC Technologies (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) for a sensitive multi-test diagnostic system. The scope of these agreements includes the development, manufacturing and sale of a broad range of rapid tests for the detection of infectious diseases, including parasitic, gastrointestinal, and upper respiratory infections using STC's Up-converting Phosphor Technology-D (UPT), a diagnostic label technology. Meridian Diagnostics makes diagnostic test kits, purified reagents and related products.

Novation (Irving, Texas), the supply company of VHA and the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC), has signed agreements with Cordis Cardiology (Miami, Florida), Guidant (Indianapolis, Indiana) and Medtronic/AVE (Minneapolis, Minnesota) for coronary stents. The agreements run through Aug. 31, 2002. They also extend to health care organizations that purchase supplies through HealthCare Purchasing Partners International, a company that markets Novation purchasing agreements to organizations that are outside of VHA and UHC. Novation serves the purchasing needs of 6,600 health care organizations, members and affiliates of VHA, UHC and HPPI, and it manages more than $14 billion in annual purchases for VHA, UHC and HPPI members. VHA (also Irving, Texas) is a national network of more than 2,000 community-owned health care organizations and their physicians. UHC (Oak Brook, Illinois) is an alliance of 84 academic medical centers and 73 associate members.

OrthoLogic (Tempe, Arizona) has entered into an exclusive, worldwide sales agreement with DePuy AcroMed (Raynham, Massachusetts), a unit of Johnson & Johnson, for SpinaLogic, OrthoLogic's device used as an adjunctive treatment after lumbar spinal fusion surgeries to increase the probability of obtaining a successful fusion. DePuy AcroMed will have exclusive worldwide rights to sell SpinaLogic for a 10-year period. OrthoLogic will manufacture the product and perform customer services in the U.S. market, including patient fitting and all billing and collection activities. The companies also will work together to develop opportunities for SpinaLogic in markets outside the U.S.