Medtronic has entered into a strategic agreement to distribute the Dragonfly pancreaticobiliary system from Dragonfly Endoscopy in the US.
The system introduces advancements in pancreaticobiliary endoscopy, a field that has seen little change in procedural standards over the years. The financial details of the agreement remain undisclosed.
The Dragonfly system addresses key clinical limitations of traditional cholangioscopy, an endoscopic technique for direct visualisation and intervention in the bile and pancreatic ducts. It enhances visualisation, manoeuvrability, and both diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities, potentially increasing the adoption of procedures and improving patient care.
A notable feature of the Dragonfly pancreaticobiliary endoscope is its fully rotatable, highly flexible shaft, and a 42% larger working channel diameter compared to current standards, while maintaining a compact scope profile. These improvements support the use of more robust Electrohydraulic Lithotripsy (EHL) probes and allow for 40% larger biopsy samples, which may enhance diagnostic accuracy and enable stone clearance in a single session.
Medtronic plans to roll out the Dragonfly system in selected US academic and clinical centres starting in 2025. This distribution strategy aligns with Medtronic’s commitment to advancing medical technologies for better patient outcomes worldwide.
In another development, Medtronic has submitted 510(k) applications to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for clearance of an interoperable pump. FDA approval of this pump would facilitate integration with a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) sensor based on Abbott’s latest CGM platform.
The submissions include a 510(k) application for the MiniMed 780G pump as an alternate controller enabled (ACE) insulin pump and a separate application for the SmartGuard algorithm as an interoperable automated glycemic controller (iAGC).
This move follows an announcement in August 2024 about Medtronic and Abbott’s collaboration on an integrated system using Abbott’s CGM platform. Abbott will provide Medtronic with a CGM designed to work exclusively with Medtronic’s smart dosing devices and software for both automated insulin delivery and smart multiple daily injections systems. Medtronic will exclusively sell these systems, including the Abbott CGM.
