Bend, OR – October 22, 2009 – Clear Catheter Systems, a private medical device
company that is pioneering proprietary medical catheter anti-occlusion technologies,
today announced that it has been awarded the prestigious 2009 EACTS Techno-
College Innovation Award for its PleuraFlow Active Tube Clearance System. The
Techno-College Award is a worldwide competition to identify innovations that have the
potential to change the standard of care in heart and lung surgery. The award was
established by the European Association of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) to
recognize the most important technological breakthrough related to thoracic and
cardiovascular surgery. The award was announced at the Annual Techno-College
meeting in Vienna, Austria, on October 17, 2009 in front of an audience of leading
cardiovascular and thoracic surgeons from around the world.
Clear Catheter Systems is developing its platform technology to actively prevent
medical tubes and catheters from occluding. The company's lead product, the
PleuraFlow Catheter System, was developed for use in recovery after heart and lung
surgery. "One of the most common ways to limit tube clogging is to simply use larger
diameter tubes. These tubes, however, can also become occluded are significantly
more painful", said Dr. Edward Boyle, inventor of the technology and co-founder of
Clear Catheter Systems. "We have found that active chest tube clearance with the
PleuraFlow Catheter System improves post surgical drainage and limits the degree of
blood clots retained in the chest, not only in standard sized tubes but also in the more
minimally invasive size ranges."
"There has been increasing interest in minimally invasive surgery, and the use of
smaller diameter chest tubes to limit pain after heart and lung surgery," said Marc
Gillinov, MD, Cardiothoracic Surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic and co inventor of this
technology. "The ability to miniaturize tubes is limited by the development of clots
in smaller diameter tubes that prevent them from adequately functioning. Solving this
problem is a great advance in the hope to make cardiothoracic surgery safer and less
painful."
"We are honored that the EACTS has acknowledged the breakthrough we are striving to
achieve in offering cardiac surgeons and their patients a unique solution aimed at
improving outcomes and reducing pain in the recovery period after heart and lung
surgery," said Dr. Boyle.
The company expects its first clinical implantation of the PleuraFlow by the end of 2009
and commercial launch in the first quarter of 2010. (www.pleuraflow.com)
About Clear Catheter Systems
Clear Catheter Systems (www.pleuraflow.com) is a development stage medical
device company located in Cleveland, Ohio and Bend, Oregon, developing proprietary
medical tube clearance platform based on technology developed at Cleveland Clinic
Foundation and MDI Partners, (www.mdipartnersllc.com). Clear Catheter?s ultimate
goal is to develop its tube clearance platform to help make surgery safer for heart, lung
and trauma patients, as well as in markets beyond.
About EACTS
The European Association of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery was founded in 1986. Its
members are spread all over the world in all continents, representing some 70
countries. The main objects of the EACTS are to advance education in the field of
cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, and to promote for the public benefit research in
thoracic physiology, pathology and therapy and to correlate and disseminate the useful
results thereof. (www.eacts.org )
About
the Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic, located in Cleveland, Ohio, is a not-for-profit multispecialty academic
medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education.
Cleveland Clinic was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of
providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation,
compassion and innovation. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland
Clinic as one of the nation's best hospitals in its annual "America's Best Hospitals"
survey. Approximately 1,800 full-time salaried physicians and researchers at Cleveland
Clinic and Cleveland Clinic Florida represent more than 100 medical specialties and
subspecialties. In 2008, there were 3.6 million outpatient visits to Cleveland Clinic and
48,300 hospital admissions. Patients came for treatment from every state and from
more than 80 countries. Cleveland Clinic's Web site address is www.clevelandclinic.org.
Clear Catheter Systems Receives Major International Innovation Award for its PleuraFlow Active Tube Clearance System(October 22,2009) 
