PLAINSBORO, N.J., April 13, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation (Nasdaq:IART) will showcase its new Accuracy(TM) Catheter at the AANS Annual Meeting in Washington D.C., April 14-19, 2007. The ventricular catheter was designed with the help of David Langer, MD, Director of Cerebrovascular Neurosurgery at St. Luke's Roosevelt, N.Y., for use in treatment of hydrocephalus and Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH). The Accuracy Catheter has been designed with features that meet the specific needs of neurosurgeons, including transparency, a barium stripe, and numbered depth markers at 2 cm intervals between 2 and 10 cm, with dot markers between each interval. The Accuracy Catheter will be sold in conjunction with Integra's top selling OSV II(R) and NPH(TM) self-adjusting valve systems.
"The thin barium stripe, transparent tubing and numbered depth markers are welcome new features of the Accuracy Catheter," said Dr. Langer. "The new design allows me to immediately identify CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) flow within the catheter lumen, and any debris in the CSF is also easily identified. The depth markers enable me to quickly determine the depth of placement within the ventricle."
Hydrocephalus and NPH are abnormal accumulations of CSF within cavities in the brain called ventricles. The ventricles enlarge and, in turn, stretch the nerve tissue of the brain, causing a variety of symptoms. Hydrocephalus can be congenital or acquired. Congenital hydrocephalus is estimated to occur in about 2 out of every 1,000 births, and acquired hydrocephalus can happen as a result of trauma or bleeding in the brain. Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus normally occurs in adults 60 years and older, and may affect 375,000 Americans who have some of the same symptoms as Dementia, Alzheimer's, or Parkinson's, but who actually have NPH.
The use of ventricular catheters in hydrocephalus and NPH is a critical component of CSF Management, an estimated $250 million market worldwide.
The Accuracy(TM) Catheter will be sold by the Integra NeuroSciences(R) direct sales organization. Integra NeuroSciences(R) is a leading provider of implants, devices, instruments, and systems used in neurosurgery, neuromonitoring, neuro-trauma, and related critical care. Integra NeuroSciences' direct selling effort in the United States and Europe currently involves over 200 professionals. In all other markets, Integra NeuroSciences products are sold through a network of distributors.
Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation, a world leader in regenerative medicine, is dedicated to improving the quality of life for patients through the development, manufacturing, and marketing of cost-effective surgical implants and medical instruments. Our products, used primarily in neurosurgery, extremity reconstruction, orthopedics and general surgery, are used to treat millions of patients every year. Integra's headquarters are in Plainsboro, New Jersey, and we have research and manufacturing facilities throughout the world. Please visit our website at www.Integra-LS.com.
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the future use of the Accuracy(TM) Catheter. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from predicted or expected results. Among other things, the willingness of physicians to use this product may affect the prospects for its use in clinical procedures. In addition, the economic, competitive, governmental, technological and other factors, identified under the Risk Factors section of Integra's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006, and information contained in subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, could affect actual results.