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radio-opaque marker
bands to serve as
guideposts during fluo-
roscopy. Perhaps the
device's greatest
strength is its quick
deflation time. The bal-
loon deflates com-
pletely in 6 seconds, or as little as half the time of some other
balloon dilators, says the company.
Specialized Sphincterotomes
For smooth and simple access
during ERCP procedures, there's
Olympus's pair of new CleverCut
3 V sphincterotomes. Designed
for use with Olympus's VisiGlide
guidewires, these 2 wire-guided
sphincterotomes have specialized
cannulation tips — an oblique tip and a short bend tip — designed
to facilitate cannulation. The CleverCut 3 V with the oblique tip
aligns the axis of the sphincterotome with the bile duct, without
unnecessary manipulation of the pancreatic duct, while the short
bend tip enables a surer approach to cannulation when the scope
is in a difficult position. Also, for matters of safety, each sphinc-
terotome has a pre-curved tip for stable cutting and a special
coating on the cutting wire's proximal end to preserve surround-
ing tissue.
— Bill Donahue