Details from the press release:

Compared with conventional light sources, the smaller LEDs of the Polaris system are considerably more energy-efficient than conventional light sources. An LED light source has a life span of about 30,000 hours (corresponding to about seven to ten years of service life in the operating room), while the life span of a conventional light source is about 1,000 hours (corresponding to about four months of service life in the operating room). The slight amount of lost heat from the LEDs is dispensed through the top of the housing.

The different Polaris models are distinguished by their illuminating power. They can be used as an individual OR light or as a satellite in multiple-light systems, and can also be equipped with an integrated camera.

This new product design received the red dot design award 2008 which, according to the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen, is based on criteria such as innovation, functionality, quality and ergonomics.

The 108 light-emitting diodes of the Polaris (700 model) distribute light with a color temperature of 4,600 Kelvin. "Cold light" (without long-wave infrared content) is generated by means of a phosphor layer on the semiconductor and focused via an optical system. The LEDs are installed in the reflectors in pairs.

The individual light paths form a light cylinder which has an illumination depth of about 1,100 millimeters and a variable diameter of 220 to 290 millimeters. This ensures that the light of each LED can be focused on the OR field and that several surgeons can work simultaneously on the OR field without noticeably reducing the brightness.

Press release: Precision lighting with the new Dräger Polaris...

Product brochure... (.pdf)

From the press release:

In a clinical study of more than 150 patients, DuraSeal spine sealant was shown to be superior at achieving an intra-operative watertight seal, compared with the control group, which consisted of conventional methods of dural closure such as sutures or fibrin sealants. DuraSeal spine sealant achieved an intra-operative watertight seal 100% of the time, compared with 64% of the time by the control group. The safety results between the two groups were similar, given the patients' medical conditions and the nature of the complex spinal procedures performed.

The new sealant is a 100% synthetic hydrogel that provides excellent tissue adherence, is absorbed by the body and is easy to apply. Stored at room temperature, DuraSeal spine sealant takes only two minutes to prepare and three seconds to set, which enables surgeons to achieve an intra-operative dural seal quickly.

Press release: Covidien Introduces First FDA-Approved Spine Sealant ...

Product page: DuraSeal ...

The approval permits Wright to market CONSERVE® Plus in the original femoral and acetabular component configuration specified in its PreMarket Approval (PMA) application and enables the Company to initiate efforts to introduce additional enhancements to the system which are currently only available outside of the United States.

The CONSERVE® Plus system is designed to offer pain relief and restoration of function while retaining as much healthy bone as possible and preserving future surgery options, including a primary total hip replacement.

The approval follows a successful clinical trial involving more than 1,300 patients, including those enrolled under Continued Access protocols, providing patient data of CONSERVE® Plus clinical data in postoperative periods of up to eight years in length. Wright will commence surgeon training in the first phase of its U.S. introduction.

To date, the overall survivorship of CONSERVE® PLUS implants is 97%. Almost all the patients enrolled in the study have returned to their active lifestyles without pain.

Press release: Wright Medical Group, Inc. Receives FDA Approval to Market CONSERVE(R) Plus Total Hip Resurfacing System...

Product page: CONSERVE Plus Total Hip Resurfacing System...

Flashbacks: Birmingham Hip, or How to Sell Fresh Hips to Boomers ; iUni Resurfacing Knee Approved in US, Now Goes to Europe; Cormet™ Hip Resurfacing System; Personalized Bicompartmental Knee Resurfacing System from ConforMIS Gets CE Mark

Go beyond the limitations of crutches, wheelchairs or scooters. It is truly an off-loading prosthetic that allows the user to fully integrate the device into their lives, giving them complete mobility. The user has the ability to accomplish all their normal day to day tasks without assistance, while at the same time keeping the strength in upper muscles of the injured leg.

Product page: Freedom Leg...

All that one has to do in using the device is align the side of the iPhone to the standard tracings we use routinely, and the position sensor built in the iPhone will do the rest.

The precision of the device itself is 1/10th of a degree, far more precise than the precision of the measure as determined in everyday practice and the literature.

Measures are logged for further use and may be sent by e-mail to the surgeon or staff for recording purposes, with the levels of the measured curve, type of curve and patient id or number. A calibration procedure was also implemented to accurately measure the angle with the horizontal plane as in the sacral slope.

Product page: CobbMeter ...

Medgadget has obtained the following details about the device:

Featuring patent pending innovative thumb activation independent mechanisms, PMD’s ThumBlade™ safety scalpels enable one-handed activation smoothly and safely by right or left handed practitioners with no contact with the exposed blade. This activation affords an easy, natural opening motion while keeping the other fingers out of the way. The safety sheath is made from high quality ABS composite with a completely flat and smooth top, providing a stable platform for better control during the procedure. The extra sharp blades are stainless steel, pre-sterilized, and disposable after single use. The blade sheaths and packaging are color coded by size for easy counting and safe use. The stainless steel handles are pre-sterilized for first use and can be re-sterilized and re-used. These handles, available in both #3 and #4 fitments, are premium length and back-weighted for the grip and feel practitioners prefer.

Product page: ThumBlade™ safety scalpel system...

Camera Control Unit (CCU) – The CCU consists of a single Pentium PC with proprietary Visionsense hardware and software.

3D Stereoscopic Display - The CCU connects to a stereoscopic display with flexible arm for multiple viewing angles (requires glasses).

Video Cart - specifically designed to maximize surgeon ergonomics and minimize the footprint in the operating room.

The VSII is designed to work with:

Cameras - The VSII uses various configurations of cameras specifically designed for transnasal and keyhole neurosurgical applications. Currently, there are 2 lengths (170mm and 300mm) and 2 angles (0 and 30 degree). The cameras are able to be sterilized and are reusable for 40 procedures.

LED Light Source - The VSII uses its own customized light source which uses a few watts of power to illuminate the surgical field.

Digital Recording/playing/editing procedures, in both mono and stereo

Product page: VSII -Visionsense Stereoscopic Vision System

Flashback: Single Chip Stereo Endoscopy from Visionsense

(hat tip: Globes)

The technology consists of three layers of high tech polymers and foam that when laminated together create a lightweight matrix with features that have multiple benefits for practitioners and their patients. Exos products feature easy to use, clean, waterless application that do not require water, stockinette or cotton padding for application. They are simple to remove and do not necessitate the use of messy, loud, often disturbing cast saws. Exos products provide excellent stabilization with superior comfort for greater patient compliance.

Link: Exos Corp...

(hat tip: Gizmodo)

Link: CookBiodesign.com...

Flashbacks: Cook Medical's Biodesign Hernia Graft; Cook Medical's Biologic Mesh Looks Good in Study

During minimally invasive or traditional open surgery, Medtronic’s Nerve Integrity Monitor (NIM®) systems enable surgeons to identify and confirm motor nerve function and monitor major motor nerves throughout the body, such as cranial nerves in a patient’s head, face and neck. If there is a change in nerve function, the NIM system provides visual and audible warnings to alert the surgeon and operating room staff. This helps reduce the risk of nerve damage during surgery, improving safety and peace-of-mind for patients and surgeons.

The NIM 3.0 systems are the first and only nerve monitors in the marketplace that fully enable:

* Simultaneous monitoring during bipolar cautery
* Artifact detection software that distinguishes artifacts (false signals) from true nerve signals
* Stim Bur technology that combines stimulation with Medtronic’s electric Visao® High-Speed Otologic Drill
* Real-time continuous monitoring of nerve function via APS™ (Automatic Periodic Stimulation)* that provides early warning of a change in nerve function

With completely redesigned software, the new NIM 3.0 systems are easier to use and more convenient for the operating room than prior models. Users can navigate easily and quickly between three simple modes: Setup, Monitoring and Reports, and use default or custom settings. In addition, the new systems include multiple reporting options that can be easily saved for patient records.

The NIM-Response 3.0 monitors up to four channels of nerve-muscle combinations at a time and is frequently used in skull-based and head and neck procedures. With the NIM-Neuro 3.0, neurotologists and neurosurgeons can monitor up to eight channels of nerve-muscle combinations during complex and delicate surgeries, such as glomus tumor removals. In the future, Medtronic expects a new microscope overlay for the NIM-Neuro 3.0 will help bring monitoring within the surgical field by importing the NIM signal through a high-end microscope as the surgeon operates.

Press release: Medtronic Launches New and Innovative Intraoperative Nerve Integrity Monitors for Surgeons