A Diagnostics & Imaging Week

Luminetx (Memphis) reported signing a three-year vendor contract with group purchasing organization Amerinet (St. Louis).

With the agreement, Amerinet’s 24,000-plus members, of which more than 2,000 are acute care institutions, will have access to custom Amerinet group purchasing discounts as they relate to the VeinViewer, a vascular imaging system made by Luminetx.

The VeinViewer uses a combination of near-infrared light and patented technologies to image vascular structures and project their location directly on the surface of the skin. This provides clinicians with a non-invasive adjunct technology for clinical treatments and procedures including IV insertions, PICC line insertions, routine venipuncture, blood and plasma donations and treatment for varicose and spider veins.

Greg Candelmo, VP of U.S. sales at Luminetx, said, “Solid GPO contracts with industry leaders like Amerinet open significant doors for our sales team in terms of laser-targeting the finest healthcare institutions across the country.”

Rodney Schutt, COO at Luminetx, said, “Not only will this endeavor enhance the patient experience, but it also will allow hospitals and clinics to be able to maximize savings and re-invest those into patient care.”

In other agreement news: Top Care Korea and Exalenz (formerly BreathID Ltd.; Modiin, Israel) said they have signed a deal to build closer collaboration between the companies in marketing and product distribution in South Korea. The agreement also grants Top Care Korea exclusive rights to distribute Exalenz’s BreathID System in South Korea.

Top Care Korea has a plan to launch BreathID System in first half of 2008.

Hyun Mo Chung, CEO of Top Care Korea, said, “Together with Exalenz, we will provide a powerful set of diagnostic tools for patients with gastrointestinal and liver disease. We believe this agreement will immediately strengthen our competitive position.”

“[South] Korea is a highly advanced market with a superior medical community and is an encore for our activity in Asia. Together with Top Care, we will make the BreathID a standard in the diagnostics of liver and gastrointestinal diseases in Korea,” said Uri Geiger, CEO of Top Care.