8.26.09 | Chris Seper

Ohio catheter device company PercuVision gets FDA approval

COLUMBUS, Ohio — PercuVision, which has developed a device that guides medical staff through a urethral catheterizations, has received U.S. Food & Drug Administration clearance to market its device.

The company built its DirectVision System to be a “visual guide” through the urethra that will cut down on problematic insertions into the urethra and cut health-care costs by eliminating costly procedures from catheter-related damage. The $29,000 device is essentially a catheter with a fiber-optic flashlight and camera at the end. Nurses, who usually perform catheter insertions, can see the catheter’s path and will be more likely to complete the procedure smoothly and quickly the first time, according to PercuVision.

The company raised $2.9 million in preparation for the approval and is continuing to raise capital. It plans to double its eight member workforce and will immediately start selling in Ohio and neighboring states.