Microcatheter granted FDA approval

Surefire Medical, a pharmaceutical and hospital equipment company, recently received FDA 510(k) FDA approval for a high-flow microcatheter the company manufactured.

The medical device will be used to provide therapy at a higher infusion efficiency than traditional microcatheters. The expandable tip on the microcatheter allows the device to expand in reverse flow and collapses in forward flow, achieving an average infusion efficiency of 99.1 percent compared with 72.8 percent for traditional catheters.

"Working with key interventional radiologists, our research and development team has created a highly trackable, sleek microcatheter designed to accommodate smaller vessels and selective procedures," said Jim Chomas, CEO of Surefire Medical. "The addition of the Surefire High-Flow Microcatheter will enable physicians to treat more patients with addressable disease."

The initial Surefire Infusion system has been used in 68 top-tier hospitals in interventional procedures to treat primary and secondary liver cancer.

BeckersASC Review recently suggested making sure that devices used in hospitals be reviewed extensively from a cost perspective. New and higher-end equipment - of which this new catheter is an example - could be worth a higher cost upfront to ensure a longer lifespan.