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Medical simulator maker Simbionix Inc. has landed a $1 million-plus contract with what it identifies as a major health care conglomerate, thus giving the company a boost after almost three years of internal changes and difficulty finding its niche in the U.S. market.
Simbionix, which was founded in Israel but relocated its headquarters to Cleveland in 2002, cited confidentiality agreements in declining to give the name of the health care giant. However, Simbionix disclosed that it custom-designed a simulator for the unidentified company, which will use it to train doctors how to implant a recently approved stent using a minimally invasive procedure. The stent is used to open the artery that carries blood from the heart to the brain.
The unidentified company bought the simulators to comply with a new Food and Drug Administration requirement that all doctors implanting the new stent practice the procedure first using a simulator, said Tim Rocco, Simbionix vice president of sales.
"The FDA for the first time has required a medical device manufacturer to train doctors on a simulator," Mr. Rocco said. "The agency...