Clear Catheter Systems Receives Major International Innovation Award for Its PleuraFlow Active Tube Clearance System

BEND, Ore.--(Business Wire)--
Clear Catheter Systems, a private medical device company pioneering proprietary
medical catheter anti-occlusion technologies, has been awarded the 2009 EACTS
Techno-College Innovation Award for its PleuraFlow Active Tube Clearance System.
The Techno-College Award is a worldwide competition to identify innovations with
the potential to change the standard of care in heart and lung surgery. The
award was established by the European Association of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery to
recognize the most important technological breakthrough related to thoracic and
cardiovascular surgery. The award was announced at the Annual Techno-College
meeting in Vienna, Austria, on October 17, 2009 in front of an audience of
leading cardiovascular and thoracic surgeons from around the world.

Clear Catheter Systems is developing its platform technology to actively prevent
medical tubes and catheters from occluding. The company`s lead product, the
PleuraFlow Catheter System, was developed for use in recovery after heart and
lung surgery. "One of the most common ways to limit clogging is to use larger
diameter tubes. These tubes, however, can also become occluded and significantly
more painful," said Dr. Edward Boyle, inventor of the technology and co-founder
of Clear Catheter Systems. "We have found that active chest tube clearance with
the PleuraFlow Catheter System improves post surgical drainage and limits the
degree of blood clots retained in the chest, in standard sized tubes as well as
the more minimally invasive size ranges."

"There has been increasing interest in minimally invasive surgery, and the use
of smaller diameter chest tubes to limit pain after heart and lung surgery,"
said Marc Gillinov, MD, Cardiothoracic Surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic and co
inventor of this technology. "The ability to miniaturize tubes is limited by the
development of clots in smaller diameter tubes that prevent them from adequately
functioning. Solving this problem is a great advance in the hope to make
cardiothoracic surgery safer and less painful."

The company expects its first clinical implantation of the PleuraFlow by the end
of 2009 and commercial launch in Q1 of 2010.

About Clear Catheter Systems

Clear Catheter Systems, (www.pleuraflow.com), is a development stage medical
device company located in Cleveland, Ohio and Bend, Oregon, developing
proprietary medical tube clearance platform based on technology developed at
Cleveland Clinic Foundation and MDI Partners, (www.mdipartnersllc.com). Clear
Catheter`s ultimate goal is to develop its tube clearance platform to help make
surgery safer for heart, lung and trauma patients, as well as in markets beyond.

About the Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic, located in Cleveland, Ohio, is a not-for-profit multispecialty
academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research
and education. Cleveland Clinic was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians
with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of
cooperation, compassion and innovation. U.S. News & World Report consistently
names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation`s best hospitals in its annual
"America`s Best Hospitals" survey. Approximately 1,800 full-time salaried
physicians and researchers at Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland Clinic Florida
represent more than 100 medical specialties and subspecialties. In 2008, there
were 3.6 million outpatient visits to Cleveland Clinic and 48,300 hospital
admissions. Patients came for treatment from every state and from more than 80
countries. Cleveland Clinic`s Web site address is www.clevelandclinic.org.

kellyherman&co
Kelly Herman, 541-419-8855
kelly@kellyherman.com

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