Medtronic launches Contour 3D Annuloplasty Ring for treatment of tricuspid valve disease

Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) today announced the global launch of a new tricuspid ring for the treatment of tricuspid valve disease. Called the Contour 3D^™ Annuloplasty Ring, the device is designed to restore normal valve function by remodeling the natural valve's shape and size. The Contour 3D Ring is approved for use in the U.S., Europe and several other countries.

“The new Contour 3D ring will offer surgeons the opportunity to choose a three-dimensional remodeling tricuspid ring with a true anatomical profile. This will minimize stress of the valve leaflets and optimize valve performance”

Tricuspid dilation is a progressive disease that eventually leads to severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR), which occurs when the tricuspid valve leaflets do not close properly, allowing blood to flow opposite of the intended direction. For patients with significant dilation of the tricuspid annulus (or opening), surgeons typically recommend surgical repair with an annuloplasty ring or band to restore the normal annular dimensions and normal leaflet closure, and to provide the necessary long-term support of the native annulus.

"The new Contour 3D ring will offer surgeons the opportunity to choose a three-dimensional remodeling tricuspid ring with a true anatomical profile. This will minimize stress of the valve leaflets and optimize valve performance," said Prof. Rüdiger Lange, M.D., Ph.D., director of cardiovascular surgery at The German Heart Centre in Munich, Germany, who collaborated with Medtronic and other physicians (Hugo Vanermen, M.D., at Onze Lieve Vrouwziekenhuis in Aalst, Belgium; and Aubrey Galloway, M.D., and Eugene Grossi, M.D., from NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City) on this device.