Merit Medical Systems (Nasdaq:MMSI) announced today that it launched the smallest and shortest configuration of its Elation portfolio.
South Jordan, Utah-based Merit designed its new Elation pulmonary balloon to allow physicians to accurately match balloon diameter and length to specific small airways in the lungs, offering treatment options to more patients through an expanded range of configurations.
The company said in a news release that, historically, physicians relied on single-stage cardiovascular balloons that were “often too large and too long” for use in smaller airways.
“This is the first dilation balloon with a pulmonary indication that has an appropriate size and length for smaller airways,” Dr. Ali Sadoughi, director of interventional pulmonology and bronchoscopy services at Montefiore Medical Center, said in the release. “This new configuration helps me safely dilate challenging strictures, including those in short airways at the lobar and segmental levels without fear of over-dilating past the intended site.”
Dr. Ankit Dhamija, assistant professor of cardiothoracic surgery at Stony Brook Medicine, added that the Elation balloon dilator is “the only one on the market” that allows for the safe and accurate balloon dilation of small distal airways.
The multi-stage balloon configuration measures 4-5-6 mm by 1.5 cm. On top of unique sizing, it has a kink-resistant catheter that allows for several insertions and dilations during a single procedure, potentially eliminating the need for the use of a second balloon.
“The new Elation balloon configuration is a significant addition to our pulmonary portfolio, because it provides a therapeutic option to patients who would otherwise have none,” Merit Medical Chair and CEO Fred P. Lampropoulos said. “It is a prime example of how our focus is on understanding the needs of physicians and their patients and bringing innovative solutions to market.”
Elation belongs to a broader portfolio of pulmonary innovations that offers airway stents, guide wires, bronchoscopy kits, balloon dilators, inflation devices, and accessories used to provide interventional and palliative treatment options.