Covidien Launches Optistar Elite Contrast Delivery System
ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Covidien, a leading global provider of healthcare products, today announced that its Imaging Solutions business is launching the Optistar™ Elite™ contrast delivery system. The product, which recently received U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance, is designed to inject contrast media-related drugs into a patient's vascular system to aid in obtaining diagnostic images when used with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging equipment. The new Optistar Elite provides improved performance and ease of use, compared with the previous Optistar LE model.
The Optistar Elite carries the CE mark, a mandatory European marking for certain product groups to indicate conformity with the essential health and safety requirements set out in directives established by the European Union. Regulatory agencies in other regions are currently reviewing Optistar Elite for approval.
"Covidien's Optistar Elite contrast delivery system is an evolution in design," said Steve Hanley, President, Imaging Solutions, Covidien. "With its advancements in imaging technology, we expect this system to deliver greater reliability and improved performance, as well as bring enhanced clinical value to the patient and end user."
Among the significant features on the Optistar Elite injector is Patency CheckTM, which aids in preventing extravasation, assists in reducing the potential of certain medical errors and helps enhance clinical and work flow efficiency. Aimed at improving patient comfort, care and safety, the patency check feature enables healthcare providers to confirm an unobstructed, or patent, fluid pathway to the patient prior to injection of contrast media-related drugs. A visual alert on the injector powerhead and on the control console also warns clinicians when the programmed pressure limit engages due to a blockage during the patency check.
The Optistar Elite, combined with the use of Covidien's Ultraject™ prefilled syringes for contrast media-related drugs, can help decrease the risk of certain medication errors that may be caused by manually filling syringes. Designing the Optistar Elite to be compatible with the Ultraject prefilled syringes also eliminates syringe preparation and labeling steps, which helps meet certain regulatory requirements of the Joint Commission (formerly known as JCAHO). In addition, the powerhead buttons on the Optistar Elite injector are color-coordinated with the Ultraject prefilled syringes to help avoid medication errors resulting from the use of the wrong syringes and to help ensure proper procedural set up, while a status line banner guides technologists through each step of the set up process.
With the Optistar Elite injector, the powerhead can be enabled from either the control console or the injector, which may minimize delays. A multi-phase programming feature provides the ability to set as many as six phases for each exam protocol and to store up to 40 protocols in the system's memory. A Timing BolusTM feature allows specific amounts of contrast media to be injected during a test scan to determine optimum transit time of the imaging agent to the area being scanned, thus helping to maximize the diagnostic information obtained in the scan. The Optistar Elite injector's 3T-compatible dual-syringe powerhead allows injection set up and control at the patient's side.
The auto retract sequence on the Optistar Elite contrast delivery system may also save time by allowing clinicians to quickly remove both syringes from the dual powerhead without waiting for both rams to fully retract.
"The Optistar Elite encompasses a number of new, important features and software enhancements, improving the reliability and performance of the contrast delivery system," Hanley added. "Our new delivery system underscores Covidien's commitment to assist medical professionals in better caring for their patients while improving their ability to diagnose disease."
About Covidien
Covidien is a leading global healthcare products company that creates innovative medical solutions for better patient outcomes and delivers value through clinical leadership and excellence. Covidien manufactures, distributes and services a diverse range of industry-leading product lines in four segments: Medical Devices, Imaging Solutions, Pharmaceutical Products and Medical Supplies. With 2007 revenue of nearly $9 billion, Covidien has more than 42,000 employees worldwide in 57 countries, and its products are sold in over 130 countries. Please visit www.covidien.com to learn more about our business.
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