Cardiac Surgery News

Committed to  Cannulae

At first glance, a cannula seems like a pretty straightforward device, but to many cardiac surgeons, the choice of cannulae is personal.

“The surgeon’s favorite cannula is often the one they were originally trained on,” explains Medtronic Senior Product Director Dave DeWindt. “They don’t delegate their cannulae device choices to others because it’s an instrument that is particular to them and how they work.”

40 Years of History

Cannulae, and their importance to the cardiac surgeon, haven’t always been well understood. According to Dave, cannulae began as an accessory for a perfusion equipment manufacturer that wasn’t particularly interested in developing cannulae more broadly as a business. When one of their engineers, Jim DeVries, recognized the potential of the cannula market, he left the company and started producing cannulae out of his home. He named the company DLP after his three kids’ initials: David, Lynda, and Phillip.

“What made his cannulae so distinctive was that he worked closely with heart surgeons to develop specialized versions,” says Medtronic Product Manager Bob LeBlanc. “DLP immediately grabbed a large market share, and as surgeons began being trained on their products, loyalty grew.”

Dedication that Continues

Medtronic acquired DLP in 1994 and has remained dedicated to both the cardiac surgeon and the cannulae market, producing around 650 different versions today. “We’ve been the most consistent provider and developer of products like these,” Bob explained. “Ninety percent of our cannulae have come from surgeons’ ideas, and as other manufacturers leave the cannulae market, we continue to invest.”

He says surgeons depend on the quality of our products and the reproducibility of their features. “It’s important that our products work the same way, every time, day after day, for the surgeons and their patients.”

Cannula U.S. Product Catalog

pdf Cannula U.S. Product Catalog (.pdf)

Find your ideal cannulae for the extracorporeal, cardioplegia, or suction circuit, as well as surgical support products.

11.9MB

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Crescent™* jugular dual lumen catheter is manufactured by MC3, Inc. and exclusively distributed by Medtronic. Crescent jugular dual lumen catheters are not approved in every geography.