FDA Approves New Catheter Introducer
The PICC introducer was developed in a partnership with Bio-Plexus (Vernon, CT). It will be manufactured by Teleflex on production equipment designed and built by Bio-Plexus and will be marketed by Bard Access Systems (Salt Lake City).
Bard unveiled the new product at the Intravenous Nurses Society Annual Meeting and Industrial Exhibition in Minneapolis earlier this month. "The Safety Excalibur, featuring Punctur-Guard internal blunting technology, has created quite a positive reaction among healthcare workers who have seen the device," said Amy Paul, division president, Bard Access Systems. "We expect it to make PICC insertion procedures significantly safer for healthcare workers," she added.
In addition, Bio-Plexus recently received a patent on the catheter's shape, which offers the user enhanced visual confirmation of flashback. Examples of this design can be seen in the Safety Excalibur Introducer and in Johnson and Johnson's Protectiv Acuvance safety IV catheter, which is expected to be available soon.
Tom Sutton, Bio-Plexus executive vice president commented: "Punctur-Guard is the only safety technology available that is made safe during use. This means the clinician should never be exposed to a sharp, blood-contaminated needle after removal from the patient."