Please click here if you wish to skip directly to your Table of Contents listing the most recent Abstract Database additions.

Please click here if you wish to skip directly to the Table of Contents below. To learn more about our MedIntelliBase Custom Email Alerts, click here to complete our request form or contact us directly. Please click here to learn how to use this alert.

• AngioDynamics (2)
  • Atherosclerosis
  • Peripheral Vascular Disease
  • AngioDynamics Product Names
• Boston Scientific/Meditech
  • Atherosclerosis
  • Peripheral Vascular Disease
  • Boston Scientific/Meditech Product Names
• Cook
  • Atherosclerosis
  • Peripheral Vascular Disease
  • Cook Product Names
• E-Z-EM Inc. (1)
  • Atherosclerosis
  • Peripheral Vascular Disease
  • E-Z-EM Inc. Product Names
• Marconi Medical Systems
  • Atherosclerosis
  • Peripheral Vascular Disease
  • Marconi Medical Systems Product Names
• Teleflex Medical (1)
  • Atherosclerosis
  • Peripheral Vascular Disease
  • Teleflex Medical Product Names
• Vingmed
  • Atherosclerosis
  • Peripheral Vascular Disease
  • Vingmed Product Names
• PV Angiography
  • Catheters (2)
  • Iliac
  • Femoral
  • Popliteal (2)
  • Tibial
  • Carotid (2)
  • Renal (1)
  • Vascular Plaque
  • Lower Limb

(A small sampling of results from a September 17 to 30, 2006 MIB Abstract Alert search)

Go to Archive

Diomed Holdings; Diomed wins motion on validity and enforceability of EVLT patent, trial on infringement expected

Medical Patent Business Week. Atlanta: Sep 29, 2006.  pg. 2

2006 SEP 29 - (IncRx.com) -- Diomed Holdings, Inc. (DIO), a developer and marketer of minimally invasive medical technologies, including its patented EndoVenous Laser Treatment (EVLT) for varicose veins, announced that U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton has ruled that Diomed's U.S. Patent No. 6,398,777 is valid and enforceable.

In granting Diomed's motion for summary judgment; the court rejected defenses advanced by defendants AngioDynamics and Vascular Solutions that Diomed's patent was invalid and unenforceable.

The court denied separate motions by each of the parties for summary judgment on the issue of infringement by the defendants, in effect ruling that Diomed is entitled to proceed to trial on its claims for an injunction and damages against the defendants.

In January 2004, Diomed commenced legal action in the United States Federal District Court for the District of Massachusetts against AngioDynamics, seeking injunctive relief and damages for infringement of Diomed's pioneering United States Patent Number 6,398,777 which covers the endovascular laser treatment of varicose veins. Diomed acquired exclusive rights to the patent from the five inventors of the procedure in September 2003. Diomed initiated similar actions against Vascular Solutions and two other competitors later in 2004.

"We are extremely pleased with Judge Gorton's decision to grant Diomed's motions on enforceability and validity and look forward to proceeding to trial on infringement," stated James A. Wylie, Jr., president and chief executive officer of Diomed Holdings, Inc. "We now expect that the time until we begin trial has been accelerated, and that the only issues at trial will be limited to those relating to infringement and damages."

Further details regarding the decision will be made available upon its release by the court for publication.

Proquest Identifier: 1131673501
* To access this Proquest article the user must create an account.

www.MarketGainer.com: Issues Response for AngioDynamics, Inc

M2 Presswire. Coventry: Sep 26, 2006.  pg. 1

AngioDynamics, Inc. (Nasdaq:ANGO) today announced financial results for the 13 weeks ended September 2, 2006. Highlights of the first quarter of fiscal year 2007 and recent weeks include: Record first quarter net sales of $20.3 million, a gain of 24% over the fiscal 2006 first quarter, Record first quarter net income of $1.9 million, or $0.12 per diluted share , First quarter net income, excluding the impact of SFAS 123R, reaches $2.2 million, or $0.14 per diluted share, up 72% from the prior year, Gross margin hits an all time record high of 58.9%, up 70 basis points from the prior year, Commences facility expansion for warehouse and distribution center at Queensbury headquarters, Pays second installment in acquisition of Medron, Inc.'s vascular access port technology and Finalizes agreement with Bioniche to become exclusive U.S. distributor of Sotradecol(TM) to all markets.

Without the effect of SFAS 123R, net income would be expected to reach approximately $11.5 million, representing 68% growth from fiscal 2006, and reducing R&D and SG&A to approximately 7.8% and 36.3% of net sales, respectively. The impact of SFAS 123R is expected to reduce net earnings for fiscal 2007 by approximately $0.11 per diluted share, from $0.71 per diluted share to $0.60 per diluted share.

For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007, which will end on June 2, 2007, AngioDynamics expects net sales of approximately $30.3 million and diluted EPS of approximately $0.20. Without the impact of SFAS 123R, diluted EPS would be expected to reach approximately $0.22.

Proquest Identifier: 1135546311
* To access this Proquest article the user must create an account.

E-Z-EM to Present at UBS 2006 Global Life Sciences Conference

Business Wire. New York: Sep 21, 2006.  pg. 1

Tom Johnson

Lake Success, N.Y.

E-Z-EM, Inc. (NASDAQ:EZEM) today announced that its president and chief executive officer, Anthony A. Lombardo, is scheduled to make a formal presentation at the UBS 2006 Global Life Sciences Conference on Wednesday, September 27, 2006, at 2:00 PM Eastern Time. The conference will be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City from September 25 through September 28, 2006.

The UBS Global Life Sciences Conference will feature representatives from over 350 companies from the following major life sciences sectors: biotechnology, life sciences (genomics and tools), medical technology, pharmaceuticals and specialty pharmaceuticals.

Individuals may listen to a live web cast of the presentation by visiting the Company's web site at www.ezem.com a few minutes prior to the start time to download any necessary software. The presentation will be archived for a limited time.

Proquest Identifier: 1132464401
* To access this Proquest article the user must create an account.

Personnel; SSI Surgical Services stockholders elect two members to board of directors

Medical Devices & Surgical Technology Week. Atlanta: Oct 15, 2006.  pg. 347

2006 OCT 15 - (NewsRx.com) -- SSI Surgical Services, Inc., has announced that Matthew Jennings and Julie McDowell were elected to the company's board of directors.

Anthony Dimun, who had previously been a member of the board since 2004, did not stand for election.

Jennings brings nearly 20 years of extensive health care leadership to this position, including general management and operations, marketing and sales, strategy development, acquisition and integration, and equity capital financing for new ventures.

He joined Teleflex Medical in January 2004 from BioEnterprise Corporation, a business formation and acceleration company in Northern Ohio that works with early stage and emerging growth medical companies. Before joining Teleflex Medical, Jennings also held senior management roles at Allegiance Health care Corporation and Baxter Health care Corporation.

Julie McDowell is vice president, corporate communications, for Teleflex Incorporated in Limerick, Pa. She leads the company's communication with customers, employees, media and investors.

Most of McDowell's career has been in marketing and communications for health care providers and medical technology companies. She joined Teleflex in September 2002.

Proquest Identifier: 1140118231
* To access this Proquest article the user must create an account.

The emerging role of multidetector row CT angiography in the diagnosis of cervical arterial dissection: preliminary study.

Neuroradiology [NLM - MEDLINE]. Sep 2006. Vol. 48, Iss. 9;  pg. 606

Elijovich L,  Kazmi K,  Gauvrit JY,  Law M

Cervical artery dissection is an important cause of ischemic stroke, particularly in young patients. The diagnosis can be made with invasive catheter angiography or non-invasive imaging, either with MRI in conjunction with MR angiography (MRA) or CT angiography (CTA). Both modalities have been shown to have a high specificity and sensitivity. New developments such as multi-slice CTA (MSCTA) are emerging as an alternative methods for imaging the cervical and intracranial arteries. However, the contribution of modern MSCTA to carotid artery dissection has not been reported. METHODS: We present a retrospective series of seven patients in whom both MSCTA and cervical axial T1 MRI and MRA were performed in the acute to subacute setting of internal carotid artery dissection. RESULTS: Carotid artery dissection was identified in all seven patients by MSCTA. The combination of MRI and MRA identified dissection in five of the seven patients. Additionally, a pseudoaneurysm was identified by MSCTA that was missed by MRI and MRA. CONCLUSION: Our findings confirm that MSCTA is a complementary technique in comparison to cervical axial T1 MRI and cervical MRA for diagnosing carotid artery dissection, and at times may provide additional information that can impact patient management.

Proquest Identifier: 1138136691
* To access this Proquest article the user must create an account.

Volcano Announces First Permanent Installations of the Integrated s5i IVUS Imaging System; Volcano's s5i Provides a Customized IVUS Imaging Solution for Any Cath Lab Configuration

PR Newswire. New York: Oct 11, 2006.  pg. n/a

Scott Huennekens, Volcano president and chief executive officer, commented, "Volcano's integrated IVUS system addresses a number of the historical barriers to using IVUS. Many physicians agree that IVUS provides greater clarity into the complexity of lesions, and greater confidence in optimizing Drug Eluting Stent or Bare Metal Stent placement as part of everyday PCI (percutaneous interventional) procedures. However, IVUS has in the past been cumbersome to use and added considerable time to the total procedure. By integrating the Volcano s5i directly into the lab, IVUS is always there, always on and always ready. With Volcano's s5i, physicians now simply plug the catheter in and begin imaging."

Dr. Steven Bailey at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio commented that, "IVUS is becoming an important therapy enabling technology for everyday PCI. If you want to do truly advanced PCI, IVUS needs to be part of the clinical work flow. By integrating IVUS system directly into the cath lab, our hospital can ensure that IVUS is available to every patient, as the system is always on and ready to image. We can also reduce the overall procedure time as transportation and set up of the IVUS console is no longer required."

Volcano Corporation (VOLC), which completed its IPO in June 2006, offers a broad suite of devices that facilitate endovascular procedures. Volcano's products enhance the diagnosis of vascular and structural heart diseases and guide optimal therapies. The company's IVUS (intravascular ultrasound) product line includes ultrasound consoles that can be integrated directly into virtually any modern cath lab and single-use phased array and rotational IVUS imaging catheters. Volcano also has unique advanced functionality options like VH tissue characterization and IVUS and angiography co-registration. Volcano also provides functional measurement (FM) consoles and single-use pressure and flow guide wires. Currently, more than 2,000 Volcano IVUS and FM systems are installed worldwide, with nearly half of its revenues coming from outside the U.S. For more information, visit the company's website at www.volcanocorp.com .

Proquest Identifier: 1143635071
* To access this Proquest article the user must create an account.

Arteriographic evidence of pseudoocclusion of the popliteal artery: don't be fooled.***

Catheter Cardiovasc Interv. 2006 Oct;68(4):522-5.

Jones WT 3rd, Gray BH.

Department of Surgical Education, Division of Vascular Surgery, Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center, Greenville, South Carolina 29605, USA.

Individuals with chronic lower extremity pain or lifestyle limiting claudication often undergo angiography prior to intervention. Occasionally initial angiographic findings are not indicative of a true pathologic process. Described below are two such cases. Both of the patients described had iliofemoral atherosclerotic disease with arteriographic suggestion of popliteal artery occlusion. However, their medical histories, noninvasive vascular studies, and arteriograms were not consistent with chronic popliteal artery occlusion. On subsequent arteriogram with knee flexion, the occlusions were found to be positional or pseudooccluded. Pseudoocclusion of the popliteal artery (POPA) does not require intervention, and therefore it is necessary to differentiate it from other pathologic processes. Discrimination of POPA from atherosclerotic occlusion, popliteal artery entrapment syndrome, cystic adventitial disease, and vasculitis is possible through history and exam. Arteriography is helpful because a lack of contralateral disease or collateral circulation may indicate a positional occlusion.

PreMedline Identifier: 16741991

***To access this PubMed use the PreMedline Identifier in the PubMed search field

Genetic variations of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene are related to increased levels of C-reactive protein and macrophage-colony stimulating-factor in patients with coronary artery disease.***

Thromb Haemost. 2006 Oct;96(4):520-8.

Lekakis JP, Ikonomidis I, Tsibida M, Protogerou A, Papada A, Papapanagiotou A, Revela I, Papamichael CM, Kalofoutis AT, Kremastinos DT.

12 Iridanou str, 115 28 Athens, Greece. E-mail: lekakis@tellas.gr.

It was the objective of this study to investigate the relation between nitric oxide synthase (NOS3) gene polymorphisms, vascular inflammation, endothelial function, and atherosclerosis. We examined the effects of a variable nucleotide tandem repeats (VNTR) in intron 4, G894T in exon 7 and T-786C at the promoter region of NOS3 on i) C-reactive protein (CRP) and macrophage-colony stimulating-factor (MCSF), and ii) augmentation index (AI) measured by pulse-wave analysis , flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery, intima-media thickness (IMT) of the carotid and femoral artery using ultrasonography and ankle-brachial index (ABI) in 122 patients with chronic coronary artery disease (CAD) who underwent coronary angiography. MCSF and CRP were increased in patients withT-786C (77/122) or VNTR (40/122) allele compared to those without (F = 10.8, p = 0.002 and F = 3.8, p = 0.04 for T-786C and F = 3.65, p = 0.04 and F = 3.2 p = 0.049 forVNTR), even after adjustment for traditional risk factors and medication. Patients with combination of VNTR and T-786C (31/122) had higher MCSF or CRP than patients with one or none of these alleles (p < 0.05). Among patients with T-786C, those with MCSF>262 pg/ml or CRP>3.2 mg/l (n = 33/77) had a higher femoral and carotid IMT and number of plaques in the peripheral arteries than those with lower values of these inflammatory indices (p < 0.05). Patients with MCSF >262 pg/ml had also lower FMD and higher Gensini score than those with lower MCSF (p < 0.05). The intron 4-VNTR and T-786C mutation of NOS3 gene enhance the inflammatory process in patients with chronic CAD.

PreMedline Identifier: 17003932

***To access this PubMed use the PreMedline Identifier in the PubMed search field

Multislice CT for vascular injuries

Applied Radiology. Scotch Plains: Sep 2006. Vol. 35, Iss. 9;  pg. 38, 5 pgs

Felipe Múnera

Recently, the use of invasive routine angiography in stable patients has been discouraged because of the high number of negative examinations13-15 and the availability of alternative noninvasive diagnostic methods, such as helical or multislice CTA.1,2,4,5-7 In some recent series, the sensitivity and specificity of CT angiography for diagnosis of cervical vascular injuries have been reported to be in the range of 90% to 100%.1,4,5,7 CT angiography can also provide additional information about nonarterial injuries, such as those of the cervical spine and the aerodigestive tract.2,4,7 In gunshot wounds to the neck, CT can delineate the bullet trajectory and help identify potential injuries, thus reducing the need for additional studies such as endoscopy and/or contrast esophageal studies in patients whose trajectories are clearly away from the aerodigestive tract. Recent literature suggests that the true incidence of blunt cerebrovascular injury is higher than was initially described.16 Centers performing an aggressive screening of selected patients using angiography have reported a higher incidence of 0.33 to 2.7%.16-21 Although noninvasive techniques, such as multislice CTA and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). have potential as screening tools in patients with blunt cerebrovascular injury, angiography is still considered the study of choice.19-22 Recently, CT of the carotid and vertebral arteries in all trauma patients who are scheduled to undergo CT of the cervical spine has been recommended by Mutze et al.21 The use of CTA as a screening method for these blunt cerebrovascular injuries will require further investigation.

Proquest Identifier: 1140254901
* To access this Proquest article the user must create an account.

Accelerated time-resolved 3D contrast-enhanced MR angiography at 3T: clinical experience in 31 patients

Magma. Heidelberg: Sep 2006. Vol. 19, Iss. 4;  pg. 187

Alex Frydrychowicz,  Thorsten A. Bley,  Jan T. Winterer,  Andreas Harloff,  Mathias Langer,  Jürgen Hennig,  Michael Markl

Purpose : To evaluate whether time-resolved 3D MR-angiography at 3T with a net acceleration factor of eight is applicable in clinical routine and to evaluate whether good image quality and a low artifact level can be achieved with a temporal update rate that allows for additional information on pathologies.

Materials and methods : Thirty-one consecutive patients underwent time-resolved 3D contrast-enhanced MR-angiography on a 3T system. Imaging consisted of accelerated 3D gradient echo sequences combining parallel imaging with an acceleration factor of four, partial Fourier acquisition along phase and slice encoding direction, and twofold temporal acceleration using view sharing. Data volumes representing the arterial and venous contrast phases were independently evaluated by two experienced radiologists by grading of image quality and artifact level on a 0-3 scale.

Results : Time-resolved MR-angiography was successfully performed in all subjects without the need for contrast agent bolus timing. Excellent arterial (average score = 2.65 ± 0.32) and good venous (average score = 2.56 ± 0.28) diagnostic image quality and little image degrading due to artifacts (average score = 2.20 ± 0.16) were confirmed by both independent readers (agreement in 65.2% of all evaluations). In 14 patients vascular pathologies were identified in the arterial phases. In eight examinations temporal resolution and depiction of contrast agent dynamics provided additional information about pathology.

Discussion : Without the necessity for additional bolus timing, time-resolved 3D contrast-enhanced MR-angiography with imaging acceleration along both the spatial encoding direction and temporal domain revealed excellent diagnostic image quality in neurovascular and thoracic imaging. Despite the limited spatial resolution as compared to high-resolution imaging of the carotid artery bifurcation, the results demonstrate the applicability of contrast-enhanced MR-angiography in thoracic and abdominal MRA as well as cervical imaging with a temporal update rate allowing for additional information on pathologies. Future studies may include an evaluation of optimal trade-offs between spatial and temporal resolution, different acceleration factors and a comparison to the gold-standard for accuracy.

Proquest Identifier: 1135583051
* To access this Proquest article the user must create an account.

The use of contrast media in deceased kidney donors does not affect initial graft function or graft survival.

Kidney International [NLM - MEDLINE]. Sep 2006. Vol. 70, Iss. 6;  pg. 1149

Vigneau C,  Fulgencio JP,  Godier A,  Chalem Y,  El Metaoua S,  Rondeau E,  Tuppin P,  Bonnet F

Patients receiving cadaveric kidney transplants often experience delayed graft function. As iodinated contrast media injection (ICMI), necessary for cerebral angiography, which is often used to diagnose brain death, can be nephrotoxic, we compared renal function recovery (RFR) and 1-year and long-term graft survival according to the method used to diagnose brain death. Data from 9921 cadaveric kidneys, transplanted between 1 January 1998 and 31 December 2003, were retrieved from the French National Registry for organ donation. We defined RFR as the number of days for the recipient to reach a plasma creatinine less than 250 mumol/l, and/or a 24-h urine output greater than 1000 ml. RFR and 1-year and long-term graft survival were compared between four different donor groups (according to ICMI and diabetes mellitus). A total of 41.5% of deceased donors received ICMI before organ procurement and 1.95% of them were diabetic. History of ICMI or diabetes in the donor did not influence RFR or 1-year graft survival. Long-term graft survival was decreased in the group of patients transplanted with a diabetic graft as compared to patients transplanted with a non-diabetic graft (P=0.001). History of ICMI in the donor did not affect long-term graft survival in the non-diabetic donor group (P=0.2); however, in the diabetic group, ICMI tended to decrease long-term graft survival (P=0.056). ICMI did not affect RFR or graft survival in non-diabetic deceased donors. However, its use in diabetic deceased donors requires further study.Kidney International (2006) 70, 1149-1154. doi:10.1038/sj.ki.5001727; published online 26 July 2006.

Proquest Identifier: 1138129631
* To access this Proquest article the user must create an account.

Please click here if you wish to return to the Table of Contents listing the most recent abstract database additions.

If you wish to know more about our MedIntelliBase Custom Email Alert service, please complete our request form or contact us directly for assistance. Our contact information is noted below.

Thank you for your interest in learning what our services can do to empower you -

The Next Phase® Inc. - Medical Technology Consultancy & Publishing
Redmond, WA, USA
Website - www.MedIntelliBase.com