Merit Medical Systems Blogs

Merit Medical to Showcase the New basixTOUCH™ Inflation Device at EuroPCR May 21-24, 2013

Lincoln Cannon — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:11:00 +0000

Merit Medical continues to lead the world in inflation device technology with its latest innovation – the basixTOUCH Inflation Device*. We are pleased to showcase the basixTOUCH and several other innovative products and accessories at EuroPCR in Paris next week.

The basixTOUCH delivers

30 mL Fluid Capacity
35 atm Pressure Capability
Fast, Efficient Inflation and Deflation
Ergonomic Handle
One-Handed Prep and Priming
Durable Construction
Reliable Performance

Please join us at Booth M64 to learn how the basixTOUCH can help to “Expand Your Capacity” and why “It’s All In The Touch.”

To see Merit Medical’s entire portfolio of cardiology products, visit our website – www.merit.com.

Guido Sandulli
Director, Cardiology Group

* Pending FDA 510(k) review

Merit Medical Exhibiting at WCIO Show in New York, May 16-18, 2013

Lincoln Cannon — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:36:00 +0000

The World Conference on Interventional Oncology (WCIO) 2013 Meeting will take place at the New York Hilton Midtown Hotel. WCIO will feature innovative Interventional Oncology (IO) experts, discussions on current IO topics, unique live case presentations, and the latest scientific advances.   Please stop by and visit Merit Medical at Booth 18.

Featured products will include:

Experience a new era in hydrophilic guide wires with the Merit Laureate  Hydrophilic Guide Wire hands-on discovery model. Try it out and you’ll see for yourself the true meaning of 1-1 torque as the guide wire is manipulated through tortuous anatomy in a vascular model.

We look forward to seeing you at the show!

Patty Jabotte
Marketing Communications Manager

Merit Medical Introduces ClassicSheath™ - The Gold Standard in EP Vessel Access - at HRS Meeting in Denver

Lincoln Cannon — Wed, 08 May 2013 14:30:00 +0000

Discover why Merit Medical’s ClassicSheath Splittable Hemostatic Introducer System is the gold standard for EP vessel access at the upcoming Heart Rhythm Society meeting in Denver, Colorado May 8-10.

Merit is proud to officially introduce

ClassicSheath
LV Delivery System
HeartSpan® Transseptal Needle
HeartSpan Transseptal Sheath

as part of Merit’s new extensive EP vessel access line. Also to be featured at the Merit booth are the new ONE Snare™ Single Loop Endovascular Snare System and the Impress® Vein Selector Catheter.

Visit us at Booth 549 for exciting hands-on demonstrations of these products and more.

Clint Poulsen
Marketing Communications Manager

Experience Merit Laureate’s 1:1 Torque Firsthand at the Merit Discovery Station at SIR 2013

Lincoln Cannon — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 14:55:00 +0000

Discover a new era in hydrophilic guide wires at the 2013 Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) meeting in New Orleans April 13-18. Merit’s Laureate Discovery Hands-On Demonstration Models allow the clinician to experience the real meaning of true 1:1 torque as guide wires are manipulated through tortuous anatomy in a vascular model.

While attending SIR this year, please stop by Merit’s booth #1831, and familiarize yourself with the Laureate Hydrophilic Guide Wire to experience unparalleled torque control at your fingertips.

Watch the Merit Laureate product video to view an actual torque demonstration with the competition. See the new Merit Laureate brochure.

Penny Goldman
Senior Guide Wire
Product Manager

Practice Makes Perfect! Hands-On Demo of Merit’s Endovascular Snare Systems at SIR 2013

Lincoln Cannon — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 14:25:00 +0000

Merit Medical will showcase two endovascular snare systems at the 2013 Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) meeting in New Orleans:

The NEW ONE Snare™ Endovascular Snare System Single Loop Snare Design
The EN Snare® Endovascular Snare System Interlaced Triple Loop Design

A new hands-on simulation model will be on display in the Merit booth to give physicians the opportunity to practice the retrieval of foreign bodies and to build confidence with both the EN Snare and ONE Snare. The physician feedback about the hands-on experience from prior shows has been very positive and energetic.

If you plan to attend SIR this year (April 13-18), stop by and check out the hands-on simulation model for yourself. Hope to see you there!

Jesse Hansen
Marketing Director – Radiology

Merit Medical’s Worley™ LV Delivery System Highlighted at Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) Course

Lincoln Cannon — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 09:26:00 +0000

Merit Medical proudly displayed our broad product offering and the newly acquired Thomas Medical products at the Fourth Annual ICD, CRT Implantation, Programming, Troubleshooting, and Extraction course held at the University of San Diego, February 22-24. Highlighted products included the ClassicSheath™ Splittable Hemostatic Introducer System, ONE Snare™ Endovascular Snare System, Merit Laureate® Hydrophilic Guide Wire, SeaDragon™ Guide Wire Torque Device, and the Worley LV Delivery System.

Seth J. Worley, M.D., a world-renowned expert in advanced CRT implantation technique, demonstrated in an anatomical model how the Worley LV Delivery System and ONE Snare Endovascular Snare System are used with his unique advanced techniques. During each break, large groups of physicians gathered around the Merit booth to watch Dr. Worley in action.

A lot of interest was generated in our product offering and it was a great way to say “Hello” to the Electrophysiology community. Merit Medical Systems clearly showed that it is committed to providing innovative solutions to enhance and improve patient care.

Matt Toone
Marketing Director, Electrophysiology

Merit Medical Exhibiting at SIR Show in New Orleans April 13-18, 2013

Lincoln Cannon — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 15:44:00 +0000

New Orleans, LA is one of the world’s most fascinating cities. Steeped in history, it is home to a truly unique melting pot of culture, food, and music. It is also the site for the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) 2013 annual meeting. SIR will include education on the latest developments in interventional oncology and peripheral vascular, venous, and neurovascular disease.

We would like you to join us as we display our “Big Easy” charm at Booth 1831. Featured products include:

Experience our hands-on product demonstration models to learn more about the Merit Laureate and ONE Snare products.

Tami Anderson
Senior Product Manager

Merit Medical’s Angiographic Needles Are An Important Start To Any Procedure

Lincoln Cannon — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 12:33:00 +0000

The start of any angiographic procedure is as important as the outcome. Merit Medical is looking forward to demonstrating the advantages of its broad line of angiographic needles at the Access, Closure & Safety station at the Merit Medical booth at SIR 2013 in New Orleans, April 13-18. Our curved needles will be included in the Dialysis Products station.

Gaining access to a patient is critical for the best procedure outcome. As a leading provider of angiographic introducer needles, it is our goal to provide you the needle options you need for any angiographic or dialysis procedure.

Standard One Wall Needles
Safety Needles
Curved Needles For Specialized Dialysis Procedures

The Merit Advance® Angiographic Needle, Majestik® Angiographic Needle, and SecureLoc® Angiographic Needle are designed with

Unique Ergonomic Hubs
Increased Sharpness
Smooth Guide Wire Insertion And Removal

We hope you will visit our booth at SIR or visit our website, www.merit.com, to learn more about Merit’s full line of high-performance angiographic needles.

Chan Ream
Product Manager
Merit Medical

Merit Laureate® Hydrophilic Guide Wire Available in New 0.038” Diameter

Lincoln Cannon — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 17:17:00 +0000

I’m pleased to announce that we will be offering a 0.038” diameter Merit Laureate Hydrophilic Guide Wire worldwide. The increased diameter size will provide additional support options for physicians. Additional support is often required for very tortuous vasculature or when devices requiring additional support are used during procedures.

The Merit Laureate is Merit Medical’s premier hydrophilic guide wire for the placement of devices during diagnostic and interventional procedures in radiology, cardiology, vascular surgery, nephrology, and urology.

The Merit Laureate offers

True 1:1 torque control for greater turn-for-turn responsiveness and rapid vessel selection
Reliable and lasting lubricity to minimize surface friction for navigating highly tortuous anatomy and rapid catheter exchanges
Enhanced lesion crossability
Dependable visualization under fluoroscopy

Available in 0.035” to 0.038” diameters, 80 cm to 260 cm lengths, standard and stiff body, with angled and straight tip configurations. Click here to watch our Merit Laureate Product Demonstration Video with side-by-side comparison to the market leader and a product feature animation.

Penny Goldman
Senior Product Manager

Merit Laureate® Hydrophilic Guide Wire Demonstration and QuadraSphere® 30-60 µm Microspheres Generate Interest at the 2013 CIO Meeting in Miami

Lincoln Cannon — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:45:00 +0000

Merit Medical’s booth was a frequently visited destination at the 2013 Symposium on Clinical Interventional Oncology (CIO), January 18-19 at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach.

The anatomical discovery model allowed attendees to see and feel firsthand the exceptional torque control and turn-by-turn responsiveness of the Merit Laureate Hydrophilic Guide Wire. Attendees also showed a lot of interest in QuadraSphere 30-60 µm Microspheres, Embosphere® Microspheres, Merit Maestro® Microcatheter, H2O Torq™ Torque Device, and the SeaDragon™ Guide Wire Torque Device.

Merit Medical supported a CME Session: ADVANCES IN DRUG-ELUTING EMBOLICS FOR CHEMOEMBOLIZATION presented by Dr. Katarina Malagari from the National University of Athens, in Athens, Greece.

Merit Medical had a great show and is looking forward to continuing to provide product innovations and accessories designed to enhance the practice of interventional radiology and oncology.

Patty Jabotte
Marketing Communications Manager

Smaller Packaging for Merit Medical’s ASAP® Aspiration Catheter

Lincoln Cannon — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 13:43:00 +0000

Merit Medical recognizes that busy cardiac catheterization and interventional radiology labs need to maximize shelf space for their inventory. The ASAP Aspiration Catheter’s new, smaller box will be available worldwide by the end of January 2013. The new 10” x 11” size box will take up less space, which is valuable to any healthcare organization, especially in clinical areas.

Inside the new packaging is a thermoform tray that securely contains the following components:

ASAP Aspiration Catheter
21.5 cm Tubing Set With Stopcock
(2) 30 mL Merit VacLok® Vacuum Pressure Syringes
(2) 70 µm Filter Baskets
(1) 4 mL RXP® Rapid Exchange Prep Syringe
MicroStop™ Closed Waste Basin & Lid

The ASAP Aspiration Catheter is designed to remove soft emboli or thrombi from vessels in coronary and peripheral vasculature. We hope our customers like the new, smaller size packaging!

Elizabeth Pratt
Senior Product Manager

Merit Medical to Exhibit Interventional Vascular Products at ISET January 20-23, 2013 in Miami Beach

Lincoln Cannon — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 16:38:00 +0000

Merit Medical is proud to help celebrate the International Symposium on Endovascular Therapy’s 25th anniversary in Miami Beach, Florida. Merit will exhibit with a 10 x 10 booth from January 20-23, 2013 at the Fontainebleau Hotel (Booth # 102). Exciting hands-on opportunities will be presented at the Merit Medical booth for several new products including the ONE Snare™ Single Loop Endovascular Snare System and the BowTie™ Guide Wire Insertion Device. Also making a splash will be the Merit Laureate® Hydrophilic Guide Wire where a life-like vascular model will be available to experience the rapid vessel selection and true one-to-one torque. Other products that will be featured are: Embosphere® Microspheres, QuadraSphere® Microspheres, Blue Diamond™ Digital Inflation Device and the Merit Maestro® Microcatheter. Please join Merit Medical at the ISET opening reception on Sunday night 7-9 P.M., January 20th, for refreshments.

Merit Medical to Exhibit Its Line of Cardiology Products at PICS/AICS January 19-22, 2013

Lincoln Cannon — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 14:19:00 +0000

Merit Medical will be exhibiting at the 2013 Pediatric & Adult Interventional Cardiac Symposium at the Loews Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida on January 19-22. Merit will be displaying its extensive line of cardiology products at Booth # 17. Please visit us to experience hands-on product interactions and to see our wide variety of Performa® Diagnostic Cardiology Catheter shapes, our impressive line of Prelude® Sheath Introducers, as well as our newest additions to the cardiology portfolio: the Blue Diamond™ Digital Inflation Device and the ONE Snare™ Single Loop Endovascular Snare System. We look forward to seeing you at the Merit Medical booth in January.

ReSolve® Locking Drainage Catheter

Lincoln Cannon — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 14:47:00 +0000

I am extremely happy to announce two new improvements to our ReSolve® Locking Drainage Catheter.

1. The tip of the catheter will be positioned within the pigtail curl to minimize tissue irritation that may be caused by the catheter tip.

2. Non-radiopaque depth markers have been added to the catheter shaft to aid in placing the catheter.

The non-radiopaque depth markers will be helpful for clinicians using the trocar technique for placement into fluid collections such as abscess, nephrostomy and cysts. Clinicians will be able to use the depth markers as a guide for determining where the catheter is in relation to the fluid collection during placement.

After placement, the non-radiopaque depth markers may be used by patients and caregivers as a reference for the correct depth positioning of the catheter.

The catheters are available in 15 cm, 25 cm and 40 cm lengths to facilitate catheter placement using different imaging modalities and fluid collections of varying depths.

Richard Collard
Senior Product Manager
Merit Medical Systems, Inc.

Merit Medical 2012: A Year of Accomplishments

Lincoln Cannon — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 11:00:00 +0000

As the year comes to a close, I am looking back on 2012 and realizing what an amazing year it has been for Merit Medical. Here are a few of our accomplishments in 2012:

Positive Sales Growth
2012 not only marked Merit’s 25th anniversary, but also 25 straight years of positive sales growth. This is impressive considering how much the struggling economy has impacted many medical device companies in our space. We’re very proud of that.

New Products
The company continues to launch new products, which it has done every year since its founding in 1987. In 2012 we introduced the Blue Diamond™ digital inflation device, the BowTie™ guide wire insertion device, the EndoMAXX® fully covered esophageal stent, and the ONE Snare™ endovascular snare system. We also received 510(k) clearance from the FDA to market the Merit Laureate® hydrophilic guide wire in the United States.

New Product Acquisitions, Alliances and Distribution Agreements
In January, we purchased the Ostial PRO® stent positioning system. In February, we signed a distribution agreement for the Clo-Sur PLUS P.A.D.™ antimicrobial pressure applied device. In September, we purchased the Centros® long-term hemodialysis catheter (and added the CentrosFLO® long-term hemodialysis catheter). In November, we purchased the Flex-Neck® peritoneal dialysis catheter and related products. Recently we announced that Merit entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement to acquire Thomas Medical, Inc. from GE Healthcare, adding products that are recognized as “gold standard” by many of the leading cardiac rhythm management (CRM) and electrophysiology (EP) market participants.

New Facilities
By the end of the year Merit will complete the construction of a new 255,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art, finished goods warehouse and manufacturing facility in South Jordan. We also announced a new R&D facility in Pearland, Texas – a 118,000 square-foot, two-story facility. We completed the expansion of our “Vision Facility” in Galway, Ireland for the assembly of custom procedure packs in Europe.

New Employees
We’re doing our part to help the global economy through the creation of jobs. At the end of 2011, Merit employed about 2,400 employees worldwide, at the end of 2012 we employ more than 2,600 talented people who will help us grow in the future.

New Year
2012 was truly a great year for Merit, but 2013 looks even brighter! Each year we look forward to establishing annual priorities that will help us better serve our customers and further our mission and goals. I’m optimistic about what the New Year holds for our company and for our customers!

Larry Tolman, Vice President, Business Analytics

Merit Laureate® Hydrophilic Guide Wire and EN Snare® Endovascular Snare System Product Demonstrations Generate Interest at the 2012 TCT Meeting in Miami

Lincoln Cannon — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 08:43:00 +0000

The 2012 Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) Meeting took place Oct. 23-25 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Merit Medical’s booth was a frequently visited destination at the meeting. While many attendees enjoyed Merit Medical’s complimentary BowTie™ Guide Wire Insertion Device slush drink bar, the Merit Laureate, ONE Snare™*, EN Snare, Ostial PRO®, as well as the Radial Approach product demonstrations were the real draw.

Hands-on demonstrations of products provided attendees the opportunity to insert the Prelude® Sheath Introducers and to apply the Finale® Radial Compression Device on an anatomical model. The anatomical discovery models allowed attendees to see and feel the exceptional torque control and turn-for-turn responsiveness of the Merit Laureate Hydrophilic Guide Wire. The ONE Snare Single Loop Snare and the EN Snare Triple Loop Snare were demonstrated on a new discovery model with dual image screens and was a very popular demonstration.

Attendees showed a lot of interest in the Ostial PRO Stent Positioning System. This guide wire system is designed to provide consistent and precise stent placement in aorta-ostial lesions during coronary or peripheral interventional procedures.

Merit Medical had a great show and we are looking forward to continuing to provide product innovations and accessories designed to enhance the practice of interventional cardiology.

Patty Jabotte
Marketing Communications Manager

*510(k) Pending

Merit Medical Signs Agreement to Acquire Thomas Medical Products (Presentation)

Lincoln Cannon — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 13:09:00 +0000

Merit Medical Signs Agreement to Acquire Thomas Medical Products (Presentation)

Happy Thanksgiving From Merit Medical – Thank You for Being Part of Our World

Lincoln Cannon — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 10:28:00 +0000

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, Merit would like to sincerely thank our investors, customers, vendors, employees and our wonderful friends worldwide. The company exists and is growing because of you!

John F. Kennedy once said, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” It is interesting to note that in many Latin languages “Happy Thanksgiving Day” is translated as a day of thankful “action.”

"¡Felíz día de Acción de Gracias!" (Spanish)
"Feliz dia de Ação de Graças!" (Portuguese)
"Bonne fête de l'Action de Grâces !" (French)

May our actions as a company always exemplify an attitude of gratitude for your contribution to our success!

Larry Tolman
Vice President, Business Analytics
Merit Medical Systems, Inc.

Introducing Merit Medical’s CentrosFLO® Chronic Dialysis Catheter Designed by Dr. Stephen Ash

Lincoln Cannon — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 14:56:00 +0000

Merit Medical is thrilled to announce the addition of the NEW CentrosFLO long-term hemodialysis catheter to its dialysis catheter line. This unique design features unique, preshaped, curved tips that automatically center the catheter ports within the middle of the vessel.

“The outward-curved limbs contact only one or two points within the lower SVC, minimizing the irritation of the SVC versus long straight-tip catheters,” Dr. Ash explained. The distal tip of the catheter has a unique curved configuration that keeps the ports of the catheter centered and away from vessel walls.

Initial in vitro bench testing showed minimal recirculation rates of less than 1% and flow rates well within the Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (KDOQI) Guidelines. The CentrosFLO can be placed through a split sheath introducer or over-the-wire to suit your specific insertion needs. A unique, non-barbed tunneler is included in the CentrosFLO.

The CentrosFLO is a tremendous addition to Merit Medical’s dialysis catheter and accessory product offering and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to market this new line!

The NEW CentrosFLO – Centered on Performance

To find out more about the CentrosFLO long-term hemodialysis dialysis catheter, please call Merit Medical Customer Service at 1-800-35-MERIT.

Lynette Torman
Senior Product Manager

Merit Medical Systems Blogs

Merit Medical to Showcase the New basixTOUCH™ Inflation Device at EuroPCR May 21-24, 2013

Merit Medical Exhibiting at WCIO Show in New York, May 16-18, 2013

Merit Medical Introduces ClassicSheath™ - The Gold Standard in EP Vessel Access - at HRS Meeting in Denver

Experience Merit Laureate’s 1:1 Torque Firsthand at the Merit Discovery Station at SIR 2013

Practice Makes Perfect! Hands-On Demo of Merit’s Endovascular Snare Systems at SIR 2013

Merit Medical’s Worley™ LV Delivery System Highlighted at Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) Course

Merit Medical Exhibiting at SIR Show in New Orleans April 13-18, 2013

Merit Medical’s Angiographic Needles Are An Important Start To Any Procedure

Merit Laureate® Hydrophilic Guide Wire Available in New 0.038” Diameter

Merit Laureate® Hydrophilic Guide Wire Demonstration and QuadraSphere® 30-60 µm Microspheres Generate Interest at the 2013 CIO Meeting in Miami

Smaller Packaging for Merit Medical’s ASAP® Aspiration Catheter

Top 10 Merit Medical Product Videos for 2012

Merit Medical to Exhibit Interventional Vascular Products at ISET January 20-23, 2013 in Miami Beach

Merit Medical to Exhibit Its Line of Cardiology Products at PICS/AICS January 19-22, 2013

ReSolve® Locking Drainage Catheter

Merit Medical 2012: A Year of Accomplishments

Merit Laureate® Hydrophilic Guide Wire and EN Snare® Endovascular Snare System Product Demonstrations Generate Interest at the 2012 TCT Meeting in Miami

Merit Medical Signs Agreement to Acquire Thomas Medical Products (Presentation)

Happy Thanksgiving From Merit Medical – Thank You for Being Part of Our World

Introducing Merit Medical’s CentrosFLO® Chronic Dialysis Catheter Designed by Dr. Stephen Ash