ORANGE COUNTY

Trimedyne Inc. of Santa Ana said Wednesday that it obtained distribution rights to a line of cardiovascular catheters developed and manufactured by Medical Parameters Inc. of Boston. Terms of the contract were not revealed.

Under the agreement Trimedyne receives the right to distribute the catheter products throughout most of North America, Europe and the Far East. The product line includes catheters designed to deliver drugs and nutritional solutions into veins as well as useful in monitoring heart functions in critically ill patients.

Trimedyne executives said the agreement represents an important supplement to its line of catheter products which includes the Optiscope, a fiber-optic catheter used in diagnosing and treating heart problems. Trimedyne is also developing the Laser Optiscope to remove clots and fat deposits from blood vessels and veins rather than subjecting the patient to heart bypass surgery. The company began human clinical trials for the laser system late last year.