30 Innovative Products Win Medical Design Excellence Awards; Winners to Receive Gold or Silver Recognition in Ceremony at MD&M East Trade Show

Business Wire, April 6, 2005

LOS ANGELES -- In its April issue, published this week, Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry magazine (MD&DI) has announced the winners of the eighth annual Medical Design Excellence Awards (MDEA) competition. Sponsored by MD&DI and organized by Canon Communications LLC, MDEA is the premier awards program for the medical technology community. It recognizes the achievements of medical device manufacturers, their suppliers, and the many people behind the scenes -- engineers, scientists, designers, and clinicians -- who are responsible for the groundbreaking innovations that are changing the face of healthcare. MDEA-winning entries excel in the areas of product innovation, design and engineering achievement, end-user benefit, and cost-effectiveness in manufacturing and healthcare delivery. A comprehensive review of the entries was performed by an impartial, multidisciplinary panel of third-party jurors with expertise in biomedical engineering, human factors, industrial design, medicine, and diagnostics. The 2005 jury selected 30 winners in 10 medical product categories.

2005 MDEA-winning products (and manufacturers) by category

Critical-care and emergency medicine products

--EZ-I0 intraosseous delivery device (VindaCare)

--Lifeline (aka Reviver) automated external defibrillator (Defibtech)

--LifeSync wireless ECG system (GMP Wireless Medicine)

Dental instruments, equipment, and supplies

--OptraGate (SFS intec AG)

--Waterlase MD dental therapy laser (BioLase Technology)

Finished Packaging

--RelyX Luting Plus cement (3M ESPE Dental Product Development Specialist)

General hospital devices and therapeutic products

--3M Foam adhesive dressing (3M)

--ALYX component collection system (Baxter Healthcare)

--EnteraLite Infinity enteral feeding system (Zevex)

--F.A.S.T. (Facilitated Aspiration/Suction Thrombectomy) (Genesis Medical Interventional)

--The Lighted Ear Curette (Bionix Development)

--Vital Heat body temperature regulator (Dynatherm Medical)

Implant and tissue-replacement products

--Axxess neurostimulation leads (Advanced Neuromodulation Systems)

In vitro diagnostics

--Alegria multisample random access ELISA analyzer (Orgentec Diagnostika GmbH)

--GeneChip Scanner 3000 with autoloader (Affymetrix)

--Niox Mino, handheld FENO analyzer (Aerocrine AB)

Over-the-counter and self-care products

--ConfiDose disposable autoinjector (PharmaPen)

--Humatrope reconstitution device (Eli Lilly, Pharmaceutical Delivery Systems)

--Vicks Baby Thermometer (Kaz)

Radiological and electromechanical devices

--Intelect Advanced and Mobile Electrotherapy range (Chattanooga Group)

--Somatom Sensation 64 computed tomography system (Siemens Medical Solutions)

--Z-View aberrometer (Ophthonix)

Rehabilitation and assistive-technology products

--Motiva interactive healthcare platform (Philips Medical Systems)

--Sage oxygen therapeutic device (Chad Therapeutics)

--Savia 211 dSZ hearing system (Phonak AG)

Surgical equipment, instruments, and supplies

--cardioPAT perioperative autotransfusion system (Haemonetics)

--Cassi Rotational core biopsy device (Sanarus Medical)

--ClozeX wound-closure device (Clozex Medical)

--Insorb 20 subcuticular skin stapler (Incisive Surgical)

--StarClose vascular closure system (Abbott Vascular Devices)

Winning products will receive gold or silver recognition at a ceremony held June 14 during the Medical Design & Manufacturing East 2005 Conference and Exposition at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.

The MDEA program is presented by Canon Communications with corporate sponsorship provided by major industry suppliers ATS Automation Tooling Systems, Avail, DuPont Medical Packaging, Electrolizing Corp. of Ohio, The MedTech Group, Memry Corp., Norman Noble Inc., Nusil Silicone Technology, and Precision Extrusion Inc.

Full access to the coverage of the awards in the April issue of MD&DI is available on-line at www.devicelink.com/mddi/mdea2005. For more information about the Medical Design Excellence Awards--including additional details about the manufacturers and suppliers that created the 2005 MDEA-winning products -- visit, the MDEA Web site at www.MDEAwards.com or e-mail: mdea@cancom.com.