Luther Starts New Company Dedicated to Safer Catheter Systems

Ronald B. Luther has founded Luther Research Partners LLC (Newport Beach, CA) to design IV catheter systems. His previous venture, Luther Medical Products Inc., was bought by Becton Dickinson.

"The new company is dedicated to the design and development of safer and easier vascular access for both patients and the clinicians who administer catheter care," Luther said. "Our goal is to be at the forefront of catheter design ingenuity with an emphasis on the highest standards of product safety." The new company has three patents on file.

Luther is credited with numerous innovations in the catheter industry. According to John Sturgess, president of The Sturgess Company (Newport Beach, CA), Luther's peel-away needle system "opened significant clinical opportunities for nurses that has eventually resulted in the current $150 million home IV infusion market."

The Johnson & Johnson ProtectIV, a Luther invention, is one of the most widely used catheter systems in hospitals and alternate site care.