Tampa, Fla., March 16, 2010 — Physicians placing inferior vena cava (IVC) filters to prevent life-threatening pulmonary emboli now have access to the latest iteration of Cook Medical's advanced NavAlign™ delivery system, a deployment system designed to minimize the risk of vessel trauma and streamline filter placement. The new NavAlign femoral delivery system, to be launched today in booth #406 at the SIR Annual Scientific Meeting, complements the already available jugular access version.

NavAlign is the landmark product of Cook's new Venous Program, an integrated line of products engineered to treat the spectrum of venous disease — from superficial venous insufficiency to deep system conditions like deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

“Chronic venous disease affects up to one-third of the population of all developed countries,¹ so it is vital to provide dedicated treatment options addressing this growing patient population,” said Rob Lyles, vice president and global leader of the peripheral intervention division at Cook Medical. “We've introduced specialized access tools that have gained initial acceptance, and today marks a milestone for Cook both in advancing treatment using IVC filters and tapping the potential of the emerging venous market as a whole.”

NavAlign, available for Cook Celect® and Günther Tulip® filters, incorporates a hemostasis valve to minimize blood loss. With an accompanying multipurpose dilator, radiopaque sizing marker bands and flushing sideports designed to decrease fluoroscopy time and contrast medium amounts, the NavAlign system is ideal for physicians using image guidance to place IVC filters to help protect patients from DVT and pulmonary embolism (PE), a life-threatening condition that can kill one out of three individuals if left untreated.²

For more information and to see live demonstrations of NavAlign or the other interventional radiology and peripheral intervention products available from Cook Medical, visit booth #406 at the 2010 SIR Annual Scientific Meeting. More information can be found at www.cookmedical.com/SIR.

About Cook Medical
Founded in 1963, Cook Medical pioneered many of the medical devices now commonly used to perform minimally invasive medical procedures throughout the body. Today, the company integrates medical devices, drugs and biologics to enhance patient safety and improve clinical outcomes. Since its inception, Cook has operated as a family-held private corporation. For more information, visit http://www.cookmedical.com/.

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