Cook Medical relaunch previously recalled catheters

Medical technology company, Cook Medical, has announced that its previously recalled Beacon Tip Catheters are available once again to physicians in the US and Canada.  

The company recalled devices using Beacon Tip technology in 2016, following an unexpected increase in complaints.

Mark Breedlove, vice president of Cook Medical’s Vascular division, said: “When we saw the catheters acting in unexpected ways without a clear root cause, we knew we had to recall. We knew the product was in high demand, and how heavily physicians relied on this product. But, patient safety comes first, period.”

According to the company, the devices have been relaunched followed significant testing. The devices now include a new foil outer packaging that provides a barrier against environmental factors - something which was identified as contributing to the recall.

The company states that a high volume of physicians demanded the product after the recall which led to it devoting a range of resources to determine the best path back to market.