Argon Medical Devices and Rex Medical Announce Exclusive License and Distribution Agreement for the 'Cleaner(TM)' Rotational Thrombectomy System

ATHENS, Texas, March 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Argon Medical Devices, Inc. announced today that it has entered into a definitive licensing agreement with privately held Rex Medical, LP ("Rex Medical") for exclusive rights to market and distribute the Cleaner™ Rotational Thrombectomy System in the United States, European Union and Canada. Cleaner is a medical device designed for the mechanical declotting of occluded native vessel dialysis fistulae and synthetic dialysis access grafts.

Argon and Rex Medical will be exhibiting at the 34th Annual Meeting of the Society of Interventional

Radiology (SIR) to be held in Tampa, FL from March 14-17, 2008.

"We are excited to partner with Rex Medical on this innovative technology. Preserving dialysis access is one of the most challenging therapeutic issues within the vascular access arena. The launch of Cleaner will provide a fast, effective method for declotting occluded vessels and grafts," said George Leondis, President of Argon Medical. "This is a significant step forward in Argon's strategy to provide unique solutions to the interventional space, and we are confident this 'best in class' product will quickly become a leading technology in this fast-growing market segment."

About the Cleaner™ Rotational Thrombectomy System

Cleaner™ technology is an ergonomically designed, percutaneous 6Fr catheter based system (single piece construction) that is compatible with a 6Fr introducer sheath. A disposable, battery operated hand held drive unit is attached to a wire and rotates at a low speed (4000 RPM). The distal, sinuous shaped tip of the wire facilitates atraumatic mechanical declotting of occluded native vessel fistulae and synthetic dialysis access grafts. The outer catheter distal tip and sinuous wire segment are both radiopaque for fluoroscopic visualization.

According to the company, Cleaner™ technology provides the physician base with superior trackability and steerability. This quiet and easy to use system has the ability to effectively operate, negotiate and macerate thrombus around the graft apex and opposing sheath.

There are over 500,000 patients currently undergoing treatment in the U.S. for End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). In addition, over 300,000 procedures are being performed annually in the U.S. to repair and clear thrombosed hemodialysis access grafts and fistulae. It is estimated that the dialysis patient population will continue to grow at a rate exceeding 6% annually.

About Argon

Argon Medical Devices, Inc. based in Athens, TX, is a privately-held global medical device company which manufactures and markets solutions for cardiovascular procedures. It is a subsidiary of ACI Holdings, a portfolio company of Roundtable Healthcare Partners

About Roundtable

RoundTable Healthcare Partners, based in Lake Forest, IL, is an operating-oriented private equity firm focused exclusively on the health-care industry. The partners of RoundTable have significant experience in managing, operating, acquiring and financing multibillion-dollar diversified health-care companies. RoundTable partners with companies that can benefit from its extensive industry relationships and proven operating and transaction expertise.

About Rex Medical, LP

Rex Medical, LP, based in Conshohocken, PA, is a privately held medical device company specializing in the development, manufacturing and marketing of minimally invasive medical devices targeted towards the cardiovascular, venous access, endosurgery and oncology markets.

SOURCE Argon Medical Devices, Inc.