Merit Medical Launches SafeGuard Focus Cool™ Compression Device

SOUTH JORDAN, Utah, Aug. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Merit Medical Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: MMSI), a leading global manufacturer and marketer of healthcare technology, today announced the launch of its SafeGuard Focus Cool™ Compression Device, an innovative addition to its SafeGuard^® platform. It is part of a broader cardiac portfolio that offers products and accessories necessary for cardiac rhythm management, electrophysiology, and lead extraction procedures as well as interventional cardiac resynchronization therapy.

The new compression device builds upon the original SafeGuard Focus™, a revolutionary idea that provides compression over closed surgical sites which can assist hemostasis in patients with pacemaker and implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) pockets. The SafeGuard Focus Cool offers the same high performance but with an easy-to-prepare cooling solution that does not require refrigeration, making it ideal for the lab environment.

More than 1 million cardiac pacemakers are implanted every year worldwide, with 200,000 implanted in the United States alone.¹ In addition, more than 200,000 ICDs are implanted each year globally.² As the older population continues to grow and these devices receive expanding applications, the patient need for these therapies is also expected to increase.^1,2

“Access site complications, including swelling, discomfort, bleeding, and infections, are things that concern physicians after pacemaker and ICD implants. They may impact the patient experience, create clinical risk, and prolong hospitalization. Physicians are looking for solutions to improve post-implant care,” said Dr. Grant Simons, Chief of Heart Rhythm Services at Englewood Health NJ. “In my practice, I’ve already seen the advantages of SafeGuard Focus in providing controlled compression with a simple, convenient device. We see adding a cooling feature to the device as an advantage for our patients." Dr. Grant Simons and his team were the first globally to use the SafeGuard Focus Cool compression device on patients. Procedures were performed with excellent outcomes despite uninterrupted anticoagulation.

Learn more about the SafeGuard Focus Cool.

“Our ongoing collaboration with physicians allows us to understand their specific clinical needs,” said Fred P. Lampropoulos, Merit Medical’s Chairman and CEO. “The SafeGuard Focus Cool is the result of Merit’s fundamental drive to react quickly to these needs, innovating and delivering solutions that advance patient care.”

ABOUT MERIT MEDICAL 
Founded in 1987, Merit Medical Systems, Inc. is engaged in the development, manufacture, and distribution of proprietary disposable medical devices used in interventional, diagnostic, and therapeutic procedures, particularly in cardiology, radiology, oncology, critical care, and endoscopy. Merit serves client hospitals worldwide with a domestic and international sales force and clinical support team totaling in excess of 600 individuals. Merit employs approximately 6,500 people worldwide.

TRADEMARKS 
Unless noted otherwise, trademarks and registered trademarks used in this release are the property of Merit Medical Systems, Inc. and its subsidiaries in the United States and other jurisdictions. 

CONTACTS
PR/Media Inquiries
Sarah Comstock 
Merit Medical
+1-801-432-2864 | sarah.comstock@merit.com 

INVESTOR INQUIRIES
Mike Piccinino, CFA, IRC  
Westwicke - ICR  
+1-443-213-0509 | mike.piccinino@westwicke.com

REFERENCES 

1. Bhatia N & El-Chami M. 2018. “Leadless Pacemakers: A Contemporary Review.” J Geriatr Cardiol 15, no. 4 (Apr): 249 ̶ 253. PMID 29915613.
2. Ammannaya G. 2020. “Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators—the Past, Present and Future.” Arch Med Sci Atheroscler Dis. 5: e163 ̶ e170. PMID: 32832716.