BOZEN and SUD TIROL, Italy, December 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Health Robotics and ICU Medical today announced the culmination of the development work both companies undertook to enable CytoCare(TM) customers to utilize the CLAVE(R) Needle-Free Connector around the world.
Based on customer demand, the companies entered into an agreement in mid-2008 to modify their respective products in order to enable the safe utilization of the CLAVE(R) Connector for the purpose of spiking IV Bags before their introduction into CytoCare(TM) for hazardous drug preparation and compounding. General availability of their combined compatible solutions is expected approximately in March 2009.
“We are very pleased to have worked with ICU Medical in the development of the first compatible needle-free connector to be utilized with our IV Robotic Solutions. This is especially important in the United States and Western Europe, where the demand for this combined solution encouraged us to quickly move in this direction. The CLAVE(R) was introduced in 1992 as the first one-piece, closed, needle-free connector and is currently the #1 connector sold worldwide. The CLAVE(R) is a mechanically and microbiologically closed system, which eliminates the risk of hazardous drug spills or leaks and also protects the patient’s catheter from contamination that can otherwise lead to bloodstream infections,” stated Werner Rainer, CEO of Health Robotics.
“Ever since our team visited the University of Colorado in Denver earlier this year and witnessed how CytoCare(TM) compounded chemotherapy IV medications, we realized that we were witnessing the future of hazardous drug compounding and decided to work with Health Robotics in meeting customers’ demand for integrated solutions which meet the safety needs for both the Pharmacy and Nursing. We have had a long history of leading the market in providing solutions to improve the safety of healthcare workers and patients with IV Therapy and are also delighted to be the leader in needle-free connectors for Robotic drug preparation,” stated George Lopez, MD, CEO ICU Medical.
“I am delighted to see ICU Medical and Health Robotics cooperate on the development of compatibility between CytoCare(TM) and a solution to spike the IV Hazardous Drugs Containers prior to preparation such as the CLAVE(R) Needle-Free Connector, so that we can simultaneously decrease the workload of our pharmacy technicians while protecting nursing personnel from unnecessary exposures to chemotherapy and other hazardous drugs. This will enable us to expand CytoCare(TM) utilization to all of our outpatient cancer care locations,” stated Nancy Stolpman, Chief Pharmacist, University of Colorado Hospital.
About Health Robotics:
Health Robotics is the global leading supplier of life-critical intra-venous medication preparation, compounding, and dispensing robots, providing health care facilities around the world with robotic technology and software automation solutions. The world-leading solutions CytoCare(TM) and i.v.STATION(TM) have and will greatly contribute to ease global pharmacies’ growing pressures to improve patient safety through the effective and efficient production of sterile, accurate, and ready-to-administer IVs, to decrease life-threatening medication errors and contamination risks, and to work more efficiently, increase throughput, reduce waste, and contain spiraling costs.
About ICU Medical Inc.:
ICU Medical, Inc. is a leader in the development, manufacture and sale of proprietary, disposable medical connection systems for use in vascular therapy applications. Our devices are designed to protect patients from catheter related bloodstream infections and healthcare workers from exposure to hazardous drugs or infectious diseases through exposure to needles. We are also a leader in the production of custom I.V. systems and we incorporate our proprietary products into many of those custom I.V. systems.
CONTACT: For additional information, please contact: Health Robotics,
Gaspar G. DeViedma, USA: +1-609-980-7976, Europe: +39-346-963-4934,
gaspar.deviedma@health-robotics.com . ICU Medical: Scott Lamb, USA:
+1-949-366-2183, slamb@icumed.com . Gabriele Giovanelli, Europe:
+39(0)44-257-0109, ggiovanelli@icumed.com .
