ZEON Medical Inc. (2-4-1, Shiba Koen, Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Toshikazu Onuki), a wholly owned subsidiary of ZEON Corporation (President & CEO: Naozumi Furukawa), has developed a new balloon catheter for endoscopic procedure of digestive organs (product name: Extraction Balloon Catheter) and will put it on the market starting in October 2005. The product will be manufactured at Takaoka plant of ZEON Medical Inc.

The Extraction Balloon Catheter is used for extracting biliary calculus in the endoscopic procedure of digestive organs. This new product carries an 18mm-diameter balloon, the largest currently available in the market for a triple lumen catheter. Though a conventional catheter has difficulties to block the bile duct and extract calculus from the dilated duct, the increasing balloon diameter to 18mm enables extraction in such cases to be done more easily.
Featuring improved materials for more smoothly operating the tube, the Extraction Balloon Catheter also has a tapered end for easier insertion into the bile duct. In endoscopic procedure, the catheter is normally introduced into the duct using a guide wire. Meanwhile the new catheter with triple lumen can inject a contrast medium from an independent lumen with a wire left in a lumen.
A balloon product to extract biliary calculus produced by ZEON Medical Inc. has been well-known for its strong ballon. We expect this new product to enjoy a higher evaluation in the market for its enhanced efficiency and operability in the endoscopic procedure.

ZEON Medical Inc. is committed to promoting the development of innovative medical devices, primarily focused on XEMEX Crusher Catheters in the endoscopic procedure of digestive organs.