FDA APPROVES COOK VASCULAR STENT

The FDA has announced its approval of the Zilver vascular stent, manufactured by Cook in Bloomington, Ind.

The device is used to treat patients with narrowing of the iliac arteries, which supply blood to the pelvis and legs.

The Zilver stent is a thin, flexible metal mesh tube that can be implanted in the arteries. It acts like a scaffold by holding an iliac artery open to maintain adequate blood flow, the FDA said.

The approval notice can be viewed at http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/mda/docs/p050017.html (http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/mda/docs/p050017.html).