MEDICAL

Fountain Valley Regional Hospital and Medical Center last week received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to begin testing a laser manufactured by Tustin-based Trimedyne Inc. for opening clogged blood vessels in the heart. Fountain Valley is the 11th medical center approved for the coronary laser trials. The hospital long has used the Trimedyne laser in legs and has had a high success rate, a hospital spokeswoman said. Dr. Steven Schiff, a Fountain Valley staff cardiologist, is the chief investigator.

Trimedyne marketing director Bill Worthen said coronary trials of the laser catheter have been under way for two years and are expected to be completed at the end of this year. Worthen said the company has asked for approval to expand the trials to 15 centers to collect more data. “You can never have enough data when it comes to this,” he said.