Nuwellis, Inc. announced it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance for a new size of its Dual Lumen Extended Length Catheter (dELC), expanding the company's fluid management technology platform for patients with hypervolemia.
The medical device company's latest clearance supports its multi-year plan to build a comprehensive fluid management platform that combines therapy delivery, dedicated venous access, and practical implementation support. This strategy aims to help hospitals and clinics standardize patient identification, initiate ultrafiltration therapy earlier, and sustain programs across various care settings from the ICU to step-down and hospital-based outpatient environments.
Enhanced Peripheral Access Technology
The dELC is designed to provide reliable peripheral venous access while delivering central-line performance through its coil reinforcement and dual-lumen design. This configuration enables consistent blood flow for ultrafiltration therapy, addressing clinicians' requests for dependable peripheral access that works across inpatient units and emerging outpatient programs.
"Clinicians have asked for dependable peripheral access that works across inpatient units and emerging outpatient programs," said John Erb, Chief Executive Officer of Nuwellis. "With two extended lengths and coil reinforcement, the dELC helps teams match access to the patient and care setting, streamlining workflow, and delivering therapy with increased confidence."
The cleared portfolio now includes two coil-reinforced, 6F catheters with 11 cm and 15 cm insertable lengths, providing flexibility to accommodate a range of patient anatomies and clinical workflows. The catheter is indicated for use up to 72 hours in attaining venous access for use with the Aquadex FlexFlow® and Aquadex SmartFlow® systems for ultrafiltration therapy.
Strategic Growth Focus
Nuwellis' strategy centers on three growth drivers: critical care, cardiac surgery recovery, and hospital-based outpatient heart failure programs. The dELC is configured for compatibility with the Aquadex SmartFlow® systems used in hospitalized and outpatient heart failure pathways, fitting into existing clinical workflows.
The Aquadex SmartFlow system delivers clinically proven therapy using a method of removing excess fluid from patients suffering from hypervolemia (fluid overload). The system is indicated for temporary (up to 8 hours) or extended (longer than 8 hours in patients who require hospitalization) use in adult and pediatric patients weighing 20 kg or more whose fluid overload is unresponsive to medical management, including diuretics.
Clinical Implementation Requirements
All treatments using the Aquadex system must be administered by a health care provider within an outpatient or inpatient clinical setting, under physician prescription, with both the provider and facility having received training in extracorporeal therapies. This requirement ensures proper implementation of the ultrafiltration therapy across different care environments.
The new catheter clearance represents another step in strengthening Nuwellis' technology platform and enabling consistent, repeatable use of Aquadex across care pathways, supporting the company's goal of making precise fluid management simpler and more accessible across care settings.
