Covidien agrees Vida Diagnostics product distribution deal

Covidien has announced an agreement to distribute products from Vida Diagnostics for the minimally invasive treatment of lung disease.

The agreement will see Covidien act as a distributor for Vida's Apollo pulmonary imaging software services, complementing its existing i-Logic lung navigation system.

Whereas i-Logic uses electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy technology to enable physicians to locate previously inaccessible small lung lesions, Apollo offers more precise analysis of imaging data, allowing for more objective insights on patient diagnoses and treatment options.

The combination of these two product offerings will enable lung cancer patients to benefit from a wider range of treatment options.

Michael Minette, vice-president for interventional lung solutions at Covidien, said: "The combination of our technologies results in a powerful, minimally invasive, more informative imaging solution for areas of the lung not accessible by traditional bronchoscopy and for patients who cannot tolerate more invasive procedures."

Last month, the company attended the American Hernia Society annual meeting, where it introduced three new additions to its growing hernia care range.