Friday, November 20, 2009
Let Draeger Polaris Be Your Guiding Light
We are continuing to profile the latest gadgets that are being showcased at the Medica 2009 in Düsseldorf. This beautiful line of cold OR light systems, appropriately dubbed Polaris, comes from Drägerwerk AG & Co., a company better known to everyone as Dräger.
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...
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Wednesday, November 18, 2009
DermaStream CST for Active Wound Management
Israel21C is reporting that EnzySurge out of Rosh Ha'ayin, Israel is expecting to begin FDA approval process for the complete DermaStream CST system. The wound healing device is designed to be placed over a wound to provide continuous cleaning and washing away of debris and extravasated fluid. Although the device itself received FDA clearance, the bio-active chemical solution that it is supposed to work with it has yet to get a green light.
The patent pending DermaStream CST device provides the mechanism for EnzySurge's proprietary Continuous Streaming Therapy™ (CST). CST is a modality based on continuously streaming of fresh therapeutic solutions to the wound bed while removing exudates by vacuum assisted drainage throughout the treatment cycle. The combination of the DermaStream CSTdesign and the CST action produces negative pressure above the wound without the need for external equipment.
DermaStream is designed to ensure ongoing, uniform flow of fresh solutions over the entire wound bed
The use of therapeutic solutions allows for a broad wound management platform
DermaStreamCST vacuum assisted drainage continuously removes exudate and infectious material from the wound environment.
Gravity-induced negative pressure removes exudates including removal of loose necrotic burden
DermaStream CST is a disposable, single patient use device. It is designed to provide negative pressure above the wound bed without expensive external equipment.
Demo video of the DermaStream CST:
Product page: DermaStream CST ...
More about EnzySurge's technology from Israel21C...
Flashback: DermaStream Chronic Wound Treatment Technology
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Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Smartscope for Normalized Dermatology Picture Taking
In the last few years, dermatologists have begun using standard digital cameras to photograph skin conditions for documentation and analysis. A major drawback to this approach is the difficulty in standardizing lighting conditions, camera angles, and other parameters that can affect how the image turns out. The newly released Smartscope from Optomed out of Oulu, Finland takes away many of these uncertainties so that all images are taken at the same distance, lighting conditions, and optical settings.
The Smartscope is a cordless, hand-held digital imaging device that measures and documents skin lesions for use in diagnosing and monitoring skin diseases. A more accurate and user-friendly alternative to standard digital cameras, the Smartscope uses LED illumination to produce consistent, reliable images, which along with measurements and annotations, can be easily transferred to and stored in software that is compatible with electronic medical records. High-resolution images and detailed information captured with the Smartscope can also be printed for the patient or used in case studies submitted to medical journals.
Product page: Optomed Smartscope M3-1 ...
Press release: New Device Improves Quality of Imaging, Patient Experience
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Myoguide EMG Amplifier/Stimulator from Intronix Tech
This week at Medica 2009 in Düsseldorf, a Canadian firm Intronix Technologies Corp is unveiling a new electrophysiological amplifier designed to identify where to place neuromodulator injections for muscle disorders, pain management, and cosmetic applications. The Myoguide is essentially a single-channel EMG amplifier with stimulator that sports a signal display with analysis and EMG audio, so a clinician can locate areas of hyperactive muscle fibers for treatment.
Published features of the product:
Ability to see and hear EMG signals, display real time analyzed EMG, and stimulation location capability. There are numerous advantages to embracing Myoguide for EMG guidance: Conveniently integrated into one handheld package Helps identify involved muscles i.e. pre-injection physiopathological evaluation, or pre-intervention evaluation. (Either by EMG or stimulation location) pre-injection evaluation in cases where the site may be surrounded by essential nerves and blood vessels pre-injection evaluation can lead to reduced drug dose and volume, thereby reducing the incidence of drug resistance, and limiting drug diffusion into adjacent areas. Provides confirmation of treatment effects
Press release: ESTABLISHED CANADIAN COMPANY INTRODUCES HANDHELD NEEDLE-EMG GUIDED INJECTION SYSTEM... (.pdf)
Product page: Intronix Model 8008 Myoguide System ...
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Wednesday, October 21, 2009
ThumBlade Scalpel Safety System
Here's an interesting new take on improving the safety for scrub techs, nurses and surgeons. ThumBlade™ scalpel system from Precision Medical Devices Inc. (Marlboro, NJ) is a no contact, disposable safety sheath that covers blades, and allows activation of the scalpel with just one hand. So no more sharps and no more mosquito use to mount a blade.
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...
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Friday, September 4, 2009
Laser-Assisted Nanosuturing Moving Through Clinical Trials
Clinical researchers at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital have been developing a photochemical suturing technique that has, so far, proved valuable in early clinical trials. First, a coating of Rose Bengal, a special FDA approved dye, is applied to the bonding surfaces to be sutured. Then a green KTP (Potassium-titanyl-phosphate) laser is used to activate the dye to fuse the edges together.
"One way to describe how laser-assisted nanosuturing works is to think of the difference between Velco fasteners on shoes and shoe laces," explains Irene Kochevar, chemist and co-inventor of the technology with Robert Redmond in the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Mass General. "With the laser, you attach the tissues using a huge number of nanosutures whereas traditional suturing leaves small gaps in the wound closure."While Dr. Sandy Tsao , a dermatologist in the Laser Center at Mass General, is still testing this treatment in a clinical trial, those being studied have had far less inflammatory response than they do to traditional stitches, as there is no allergic reaction to a foreign body being introduced to the skin.
As well as reducing inflammation, photochemical tissue bonding may also reduce the chance of infection post surgery. Since there are no openings in the skin, access to pathogens that might otherwise make their way through is blocked.
Patients also experience a cosmetic perk with this new method of suturing. Those in the study had half of the wound closed using traditional suturing and the other half using the laser. In all patients, the laser-treated side looked better than the other. There are no worries of having cross-hatch marks from actual stitching; instead, patients are left with only a single line. Patients were observed over a six-month period, with the appearance of their wound closure documented at two weeks post surgery, three months and six months.
MGH press release: Laser sutures: Closing wounds with light...
Image credit: Wellcome images: Artist's conception of nanoparticles...
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Thursday, August 6, 2009
NUVADERM Liquid Bandage For Scratches, Burns, Bruises Gets 510(k)
Watch out Dermabond! The FDA has given approval to Chesson Labs out of Durham, NC for company's NUVADERM™ liquid bandage. The product, approved for marketing to healthcare professionals and directly to consumers, is either sprayed or brushed on to "to cover intact skin and minor cuts, scrapes, burns or irritations of the skin, to help keep them clean and dry and help protect them from infection." The non-toxic material keeps moisture and dirt from penetrating the applied film layer while allowing oxygen to reach the wound site.
Some technical details of the NUVADERM:
NUVADERM is a single component, poly(urea-urethane) liquid emulsion polymer that is composed of large, highly complex molecules that incorporate a broad range and distribution of hard and soft segments. The different segments are tied together with urea and urethane linkages that are formed during synthesis. NUVADERM is applied topically to form a non-toxic, hydrophobic, elastomeric coating that provides a barrier against moisture but that is permeable to oxygen. NUVADERM requires no initiator or catalyst and therefore no mixing steps. It remains liquid until released into the air and therefore is applied by spraying or with an applicator brush.
Press release: Chesson Labs Liquid Bandage Product NUVADERM® Receives FDA510(k) Market Clearance (.pdf)...
Product page: NUVADERM...
Technical Data Sheet (.pdf)...; Anti-Microbial Data (.PDF)...
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Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Wooden Legs Have Come a Long Way
Wooden legs sure have come a long way since they were first used as artificial prostheses. In the latest issue of Journal of Materials Chemistry, there is a report on the recent developments at the Institute of Science and Technology for Ceramics in Italy in which scientists have turned wood into something similar to bone, a material that may one day be used to create custom replacement parts.
Researchers heated the wood to decompose organic material to leave only the carbon template. Then, they reacted the template with calcium, oxygen, and carbon dioxide to form calcium carbonate that was then converted to hydroxyapatite. This hydroxyapatite scaffold mimics the structure of bone. The advantage of this process is the architectural make-up of the wood's structure that affords the ability of cells and blood vessels to grow through it, much like real bone.
'Current [hydroxyapatite] production processes do not generate an organised hierarchical structure,' says Anna Tampieri. 'Materials able to maintain adequate properties at extremely high temperatures and mechanical stress are highly sought after for use in several different applications, such as space vehicles. An intriguing possibility is that of simultaneously achieving high values of strength and toughness, for which ordinarily there is a trade-off. In addition, new materials with extreme physical properties, such as thermal expansion or piezoelectricity, can be obtained.'
More from the Journal of Materials Chemistry : Trees take on tissue engineering; From wood to bone: multi-step process to convert wood hierarchical structures into biomimetic hydroxyapatite scaffolds for bone tissue engineering...
Advanced Ceramics @ Institute of Science and Technology for Ceramics...
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Wednesday, May 27, 2009
DOD Helping to Get Skin Harvesting Kit to Market
As the Obama administration continues to fight wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Pentagon is working on medical technology that can help soldiers recover and rehabilitate faster than ever before. Shrapnel wounds and burns caused by explosions often require grafting the damaged areas with regrown skin cells. To make this process easier and faster, Avita Medical out of Nedlands, Australia has created a kit called ReCell for harvesting autologous skin cells by clinicians even in the field. The Pentagon believes in effectiveness of this technology so much that a grant of $1.45 million has been provided to Avita by the United States Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine (AFIRM) to speed up FDA approval.
ReCell is an innovative single-use medical device for harvesting autologous skin cells. Developed as an 'off the shelf' kit, ReCell enables a thin split thickness biopsy, taken at the time of procedure, to be processed into an immediate cell population for delivery onto the wound surface. Once processed, the cell suspension is available for immediate use and can cover a wound up to 80 times the area of the donor biopsy.ReCell enables the delivery of keratinocytes, melanocytes, fibroblasts and Langerhans cells harvested from the epidermal-dermal junction for application onto a wound surface in order to promote effective wound healing. Melanocyte repopulation may result in the reintroduction of pigmentation into hypopigmented areas.
ReCell has been generally used to treat smaller wounds such as small burns and scalds, donor sites, glabrous injuries, mild to moderate scars, hypopigmentation (hypopigmented scars, iatrogenic hypopigmentation and Vitiligo) and prophylactically in cosmetic rejuvenation procedures.
As the ReCell device enables cell processing at the site of treatment without the use of specialised laboratory staff, the process is both cost and time efficient.
Advantages include:
Improved wound healing time and scar quality.
Repopulation of melanocytes to reduce hypopigmentation.
On-site processing for immediate application.
Increased viability through immediate harvest and application.
Ability to be processed by clinician not specialised laboratory staff.
Info page: ReCell
More from Sydney Morning Herald...
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Thursday, April 9, 2009
LiquiBand Optima Takes MDEA Award
Medlogic Global Ltd. out of Devon, UK has been awarded a prize in the 2009 Medical Design Excellence Awards, in the Critical-Care and Emergency Medicine Products category. The winning product is LiquiBand® Optima wound-closure adhesive, a superglue for the skin. The product features strong, fast adhesion with no pain and some antibacterial properties, for easier application and avoidance of scars.
From the product page:
LiquiBand® Optima contains the Octyl-Blend10TM cyanoacrylate monomer that combines the fast setting wound closure properties of butyl-cyanoacrylates with the more flexible wound dressing capabilities of octyl-cyanoacrylates. This new formulation has a number of advantages, not only for the patient, but also aids the clinician in treating patients wounds quickly and safely.LiquiBand® Optima is a pre-assembled device that can be used straight from the pack and has a unique winged actuator that provides an easy ‘click-and-use’ functionality. This new precision applicator design allows precise control, thus enabling the clinician to perform quicker, safer and more precise wound closure that helps achieve excellent cosmetic results.
Unlike some competitor products, LiquiBand® Optima is a NO-STING formulation making it ideal for use on younger patients and those who have fear of suture needles. The fast set time of LiquiBand® Optima of 10 seconds provides ease of use and safe cosmetic wound closure. In addition, the microbial barrier and waterproof properties of the polymerized Octyl-Blend10TM monomer helps to protect the wound against infection. The Octyl-Blend10TM formulation of LiquiBand® Optima allows the product to be stored at ambient temperature and does not require refrigerated storage (unlike some other marketed products).
Product page: LiquiBand® Optima ...
Press release: 32 Innovative Products Win Medical Design Excellence Awards...
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Thursday, March 19, 2009
Cardinal's Endura Scrubs for the Modern Clinician
Cardinal Health is releasing a new line of clinical scrubs that the company believes will make your life safer, easier, and more comfortable. The big deal about Cardinal's Endura™ apparel line is the specialty fabric used, which is supposedly stronger and more breathable.
Some features from the product page:
Excess moisture is wicked away from your skin to keep you dry and cool, no matter what you’re doing.Scrubs shouldn't leave you feeling restricted or confined. Endura™ scrubs move with your body and help maximize your gait and pace. In addition, the Maximum-Motion™ sleeve allows your shirt to stay tucked in even when you reach and stretch.
Our advanced, synthetic material is breathable, flexible and helps control your heat index and perspiration.
Our scrubs offer a shirt pocket and two side flanking pant pockets to tuck away the important things you want to keep close. The deep side pockets in our pants are angled to keep items in, whether you're sitting or standing.
The smooth fabric of Endura™ scrubs feels natural and soft on the skin.
People aren’t rectangular. So instead of making our scrubs rectangular, we looked at the actual dimensions of thousands of healthcare workers. The cut of our scrubs follows the natural line of your body and gets rid of the bulky feel and appearance of traditional scrubs.
A unique snap system allows you to customize pants length and avoid tripping, falling or slipping. Elastic on the waistband, in addition to a drawstring, helps position pants where you want them.
Strategically placed ventilation zones across the middle of the back and behind the knee keep you dry and comfortable.
Even after 90 washes, EnduraT scrubs are still going strong. Stronger than a brand-new pair of the top-selling traditional scrubs, in fact*. You'll also notice minimal color loss and lasting moisture-wicking abilities. The competitor's scrubs, on the other hand, typically only last 50 washes.
The top-selling traditional scrubs lose 15% lint when abraded. EnduraT scrubs lose only 1.4%, making them the lowest linting scrub on the market.
Made of the strongest material on the market, EnduraT scrubs outlast the competition. Our advanced, synthetic material is abrasion- and tear-resistant and has the most uniform strength in both directions.
EnduraT scrubs can be washed at cooler temperatures and dry faster than traditional scrubs. This requires less energy and can result in savings to your hospital.
Product page: Endura™ Performance Apparel
Press release: Cardinal Health launches new products for the operating room
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Thursday, March 5, 2009
Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Goes Mobile with RENASYS GO
Smith & Nephew has released a new negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) device specifically designed for people who want/need to ambulate. Unlike its larger cousins, the RENASYS GO can be worn around the neck like a fashionable MP3 player. Except, it sucks at your gross wound, but no one has to know.
From the press release announcing the product:
The RENASYS GO is intuitive, lightweight, portable and quiet, and can be used with the RENASYS-F foam and RENASYS-G gauze wound interfaces, the broadest selection of interfaces available from a single supplier. This enables clinicians to tailor NPWT to meet their patients’ unique needs and the specific requirements of their wounds, with clear improvements in patient comfort, ease of use, and cost-effectiveness.
Southern Ontario-based Nursing Practice Solutions Inc. conducted a study in Canada comparing average total costs required to treat patients with conventional dressings to the same costs required to treat patients with gauze- and foam-based NPWT, in cases for which NPWT was appropriate. The study found that the cost-per-patient treated with NPWT was 55% less than the cost-per-patient treated with conventional dressings, and that wounds treated with NPWT healed more quickly than wounds treated with conventional dressings. Among patients treated with NPWT, there was no difference in healing times between wounds dressed with foam and those dressed with gauze.
In addition to its small, easy to carry footprint and quiet operation, Smith & Nephew designed RENASYS GO with the additional features customers want to support the patient’s dignity and facilitate its ease of use.
* It is lightweight – weighing less than three pounds and comes with an attractive, discrete carrying case.
* The frosted 300cc canister minimizes the visibility of exudate.
* Multiple alarms and the patient lock-out feature enhance patient safety.
* An extended, 20-hour battery life and less than four-hour charge-up time extend mobility.
* User-friendly digital settings reduce the risk of error.
Press release: Smith & Nephew introduces RENASYS* GO portable NPWT for mobile, active patients
Product page: RENASYS GO
Flashback: RENASYS EZ
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Friday, February 27, 2009
Silk-Based Synthetic Surgical Scaffold Gets FDA Approval
Serica Technologies, Inc. out of Medford, Massachusetts has received FDA approval for the SeriScaffold™, the company's long term bioresorbable surgical mesh made out of a proprietary silk-based material.
The press release says that for now the company is aiming its product primarily at plastic and reconstructive surgery market, but other procedures, including rotator cuff and hernia repair surgeries, could benefit from this material:
The SeriScaffold platform technology has the potential to provide a new solution as an off-the-shelf, long-term bioresorbable scaffold for support and repair of weakened or damaged connective tissue. Most notably, SeriScaffold could be used as a sophisticated tissue repair scaffold for the approximately 60,000 women who, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, annually undergo reconstructive procedures resulting from illnesses such as breast cancer.“Major challenges still exist for both surgeons and patients faced with breast reconstruction and other forms of plastic and reconstructive surgery,” said John E. Gross, MD, FACS, Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of Southern California (USC/Keck) School of Medicine and a prominent practicing plastic surgeon in Greater Los Angeles. “For example, in many types of breast surgeries, either following mastectomy, mastopexy (breast lift) or body contouring procedures, there is a significant need for scaffolding technology that can immediately support a geometrically complex implantation site at the time of surgery, and provide the body both the time and structure necessary for optimal healing. A silk-based scaffold that supports immediate tissue
infiltration and maintains its integrity over a longer term, as it is being bioresorbed by the body, may be significant in addressing these clinical needs.”In pre-clinical studies, Serica’s silk-based products are shown to be bioresorbed at slower rates than other common structural proteins, such as collagen, as well as other water soluble synthetic polymers, to enable optimal healing. Serica’s silk-based biomaterials require no re-hydration or advance preparation for surgical implantation.
Press release: Serica Technologies Receives FDA 510(k) Clearance for SeriScaffold™ Technology for Soft Tissue Repair
Product page: SeriScaffold ...
Relevant article abstract: The Use of Long-term Bioresorbable Scaffolds for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Repair
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Wednesday, February 25, 2009
New Negative Pressure Wound Care Device from Smith & Nephew
At the ongoing American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Smith & Nephew has just introduced a new negative pressure wound therapy system called RENASYS EZ.
Features and functions according to the manufacturer:
In addition to a simple control that varies pressure from 40 to 200 mmHg and the ability to use both foam and gauze dressings, Smith & Nephew designed RENASYS EZ with additional features that enhance the patient experience and facilitate its ease of use.An intuitive design and quick-click connectors can help reduce the risk of error.
Multiple safety alarms and a patient lock-out feature alert clinicians to changes in pressure status or pump function.
The RENASYS EZ battery runs for up to 40 hours and charges in three hours.
A convenient IV pole and bed mounts reduce the system's footprint at the patient's bedside.
The system weighs only 7.4 lbs, reducing stress on the caregiver.
Press release: Smith & Nephew announce the new RENASYS EZ system for Negative Pressure Wound Therapy ...
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Friday, November 21, 2008
TruSystem 7500: New OR Table from TRUMPF
Thanks to its modular design, this new OR table from TRUMPF can accommodate almost all known surgical positions, and can provide an optimal operating environment for all kinds of cases, from hip pinnings to robotic prostatectomies.
In surgery, no operation is identical to another. So it's not just surgeons and staff who need to be flexible – that requirement applies to OR tables as well. For the TruSystem 7500 OR table system, TRUMPF offers universal OR tabletops with a variety of application options, and special OR tabletops for specific requirements. Depending on the desired application and budget, from an extensive product line users can put together the precise OR table that fits their individual needs.TruSystem 7500 is consistently designed to simplify the everyday clinical work of physicians and staff, and to support them in their daily tasks. OR tabletops with up to three motorised joint pairs make it possible to use remote controls to position the patient quickly, safety and precisely. Manual adjustments to the tabletop are reduced. Staff can program the adjustment speed of all tabletop motors as needed. To return to the zero position, all motors in the tabletop work simultaneously, saving time.
A novel feature is the third motorised joint pair between the lower and upper back plates, which enables new positioning options. For thoracic surgeries, for instance, the patient's ribcage can be stretched precisely to the desired degree by pushing a button, so it can be opened more easily. Complicated positions, such as the side thorax position, can be assumed quickly, precisely and conveniently for both patient and staff. The patient also benefits from ergonomic, safe positioning, since the lengths of the individual tabletop segments correspond to the average distances between joints in the human anatomy.
TruSystem 7500 has universal coupling points, which have proven their worth in other TRUMPF OR tables. This latest OR table system is thus compatible with the entire TRUMPF accessory line, as well as with all other TRUMPF OR tables. The mechanically encoded coupling points prevent disallowed configurations of the table. Thus new and existing customers can quickly familiarise themselves with operation of the table. Moreover, they benefit from the option of combined use with predecessor models, and thus from the safety of investment in TRUMPF products. This philosophy permeates the entire TRUMPF medical technology portfolio.
One special feature of the “ST 26” special OR tabletop: First, the Trendelenburg capability is split between the column and the top. Besides the 45 degrees offered by the column, the tabletop can be adjusted by another 20 degrees. With the TruSystem 7500, therefore, an extremely low head or foot position of 65 degrees can be achieved. If the user doesn't need this additional functionality, less expensive universal OR tabletops can be selected.Special TRUMPF positioning accessories can be mounted on the TruSystem 7500 tabletops at any time. A spinal column positioning assembly, an extension unit or carbon elements for intraoperative X-ray diagnosis, for instance, make this jack-of-all-trades a specialist in just moments.
Check out all the available positions and accessories in this product brochure...
Product page: TruSystem 7500...
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Wednesday, October 29, 2008
PlasmaBlade Finds New Uses With New Attachments
PEAK Surgical, maker of the innovative PlasmaBlade replacement of the bovie, has put a couple extensions for its device onto the market.
The PlasmaBlade Needle, which has a fine needlepoint tip, is specifically designed for ultra-precise surgical procedures. The PlasmaBlade EXT is designed for use in surgical procedures requiring an extended-reach tip.In July, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted PEAK Surgical 510(k) clearance to market the PEAK® Surgery System, including the PlasmaBlade 4.0, for use in general surgery. The PlasmaBlade 4.0 is designed to be used to cut through all types of soft tissue, including skin, fat and muscle. All of the PlasmaBlade tissue dissection tools are used in conjunction with PEAK's PULSAR™Generator, which provides pulsed plasma radiofrequency energy to the PlasmaBlade to create surgical incisions and control bleeding. They offer the exacting control of a scalpel and the coagulation of traditional electrosurgery without extensive collateral damage.
Press release: PEAK Surgical Introduces PlasmaBladeTM Product Line Extensions for Use in General Surgery
Flashbacks: PlasmaBlade System Gets FDA Go Ahead; Peak PlasmaBlade Wants to Be The New Bovie
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Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Ditto, a Diversionary Therapy For Pedi Patients
At Queensland University of Technology a professor of industrial design created a very involved video game device, called Ditto, that can distract a child burn victim long enough to change the bandages without too much suffering.
"It was important that the product took only seconds to engage the child and it was also important that the distraction lasted 20 minutes, about the length of time it usually takes a nurse to replace burns bandaging," Professor Bucolo said"The child holds the circular Ditto device and tilts it to navigate through the virtual world, rather than using a keyboard or separate game controller.
"The whole form of the toy is the interface. It has a touch screen and vibrating handles."Children can choose a character who accompanies them through the games, 'find and touch' stories and sing-along movies. They can also take a figurine of their character home with them."
Professor Bucolo said the virtual world could be seen from all angles simply by moving the toy.
"They can even look underneath objects by tipping it upside-down," he said.
Product page: ditto...
Press release: Burnt kids' pain lessened by distracting device
More at Diversionary Therapy Technologies...
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Monday, August 4, 2008
Handheld Skin Resurfacing Device Gets FDA OK
Alma Lasers, a Buffalo Grove, IL affiliate of an Israeli company with the same name, is reporting that its fractional ablative device, the Pixel® CO2 OMNIFIT, has been cleared by the FDA for marketing in the United States.
The following is from the press release:
The Pixel CO2 OMNIFIT is Alma’s newest offering in skin rejuvenation and it is an upgrade to physicians’ existing CO2 skin resurfacing lasers. It is designed to provide patients with impressive results with just a fraction of the downtime compared to current treatments, and for significantly less money than replacing their current laser.The Pixel CO2 OMNIFIT handpiece fits onto most existing CO2 lasers and is designed to deliver a high degree of efficacy without the side effects or significant downtime associated with traditional CO2 resurfacing. By combining Alma’s proprietary and proven Pixel fractional technology with a standard CO2 resurfacing laser, the new Pixel CO2 OMNIFIT delivers a supremely effective treatment for aged, photo-damaged, and acne-scarred skin with minimal patient redness, irritation or downtime...
The Pixel CO2 OMNIFIT handpiece takes ablative patient downtime from 30 days to approximately three, making the procedure as appealing as many non-invasive approaches available to today’s busy patients.
And here's a product brochure:
Product page: Pixel C02 OMNIFIT Fractionated CO2 Adapter From Alma Lasers...
Press release: Alma Lasers Announces FDA Clearance of the Pixel® CO2 OMNIFIT Handpiece...
Flashback: HarmonyXL, Aesthetic Dermatologist's Multi-Tool
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Hydrogel as a Repair Device for Torn Cartilages
Researchers at the University of Bradford's School of Engineering and the university's spinoff called AGT Sciences have been working on a new hydrogel with potential applications in orthopedics, wound care, and other clinical disciplines in which connective tissue matters.
Here's what AGT says about its product, promoted as "cartilage repair gel":
Our hydrogel is made up almost entirely of water, yet can thicken to produce a substance 100-1000 times stronger than any other gel of its kind.This is because it is composed of two very long elastic-like molecules that form strong covalent bonds with each other to form a 3D network, like a cage, that holds the water. By adjusting the number of bonds, the physico-chemical properties of the gel can be manipulated to make it thick, thin or sticky. The gel also has the capability to hold molecules of other substances, whether water soluble or water insoluble (e.g. oil).
Much of the company’s development has been undertaken using polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) as the co-polymer. Our innovation, derived from research undertaken by our scientists at the University of Bradford, is a unique cross-linker, "PD2000", that is capable of bonding with a range of copolymers to form materials with a unique combination of useful properties.
A summary of the features of this technology includes:
Physical and Chemical Properties Able to form a wide range of hydrogels with different physico-chemical properties
Able to vary the physical form ranging from liquid to a solid
Solid can be formed with very high water content (90%+)
Cross-linking reaction can complete unaffected by the presence of other substances
Very high mechanical strength maintained even with high (90%+) water content
Can be extruded into films
Temperature and radiation resistant
Cross-linking reaction is reversible when desired Release and Absorption Properties
Can be used for sustained release of incorporated substances by virtue of zero order kinetics
Can be used to generate microemulsions – with the added capability of being able to ‘burst’ and release
Hygrostatic – maintains level of hydration Toxicity and Cell Biology
Non-toxic and meets current safety regulations
Intrinsically bacterostatic
Can be used as a medium for tissue growth
Product page: AGT Sciences hydrogel...
University of Bradford press release: Cartilage repair gel will improve quality of life...
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» PlasmaBlade System Gets FDA Go Ahead (July 24, 2008)
» Bandages Electrocute Infections Away (July 1, 2008)
» DermaStream Chronic Wound Treatment Technology (June 3, 2008)
» Scientists Tout Wound Dressing Based on Silica Gel Fibers (May 28, 2008)
» Polyheal's Microsphere-Based Wound Healing Technology (May 23, 2008)
» Wallet-Size Mulitspectral Imaging System for Skin Diagnostics (May 20, 2008)
» Peak PlasmaBlade Wants to Be The New Bovie (May 7, 2008)
» Syneron's LipoLite Receives FDA Clearance (May 5, 2008)
» FDA Approves ARTISS Slow-Setting Fibrin Sealant for Treatment of Burn Patients (March 25, 2008)
» Silk'n Hair Removal System FDA Approved (March 24, 2008)
» KFH Novo Wound Healing Device Approved by EU (March 12, 2008)
» Qoustic Wound Therapy System™ (February 11, 2008)
» ReeTrakt Surgical Retractor (January 15, 2008)
» Never Have Another Facial Expression Again with Permanent "Botox" (January 10, 2008)
» Skin From Hair (January 3, 2008)
» Low-frequency Ultrasound for Chronic Wounds (December 4, 2007)
» FusionOptic™ Technology from Leica (November 16, 2007)
» FulFil Adjustable Face Implant Goes Strong for Two Years (October 31, 2007)
» Custom Made Facial Bones Just For You! (August 13, 2007)
» Breast Implants Linked to Suicide (August 9, 2007)
» Breastgadget: Pointing the Way to Natural Breasts (August 7, 2007)
» Laboratory-manufactured Human Skin Shows Promise in Trial (June 26, 2007)
» Save The Implants!! Detecting Silicone Breast Implant Leakage (June 18, 2007)
» Breastgadget: New natural option for skinny breast reconstruction patients (June 13, 2007)
» Wound Healing Sped Up by Patient's Own Platelets (May 31, 2007)
» Norah's New Nose: Plastic surgery book for children (May 2, 2007)
» Adjustable Breast Augmentation Circumvents "Implantee Remorse" (April 18, 2007)
» Magic mirror out of the job: Computer program quantifies beauty (March 19, 2007)
» UltraShape: More Non-Invasive Liposuction (January 17, 2007)
» Genetically Modified Skin Cells Designed to Fight Infection (January 8, 2007)
» Virtual Reality Helps Young Burn Patients (January 4, 2007)
» High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) for Body Sculpting (January 3, 2007)
» Parafricta Fabric (November 29, 2006)
» OrCel® Wound Sealant (September 15, 2006)
» Versajet Hydrosurgery System (September 14, 2006)
» Endotine Implant Sends Saggy Cheeks Back to Their Mama (July 26, 2006)
» Dissolvable Scaffolding Treats Injured Skin (June 28, 2006)
» The Epi-Max® Wound Dressing (May 23, 2006)
» The Contour I System: Plastic Surgery Goes Non-Invasive? (March 28, 2006)
» Much-Hyped Cosmetic Surgery Procedures Actually Quite Uncommon (March 20, 2006)
» Spray-on Skin Cells for Burn Victims (September 7, 2005)
» Biobandage (August 26, 2005)
» VelaSmooth for Cellulite (June 14, 2005)
» Epi-Max for Diabetic Skin Ulcers (May 19, 2005)
» Photopneumatic (PPx)™ System (May 4, 2005)
» TriActive LaserDermology System (April 27, 2005)
» Insorb Resorbable Subcuticular Skin Stapler (April 12, 2005)
» ClozeX Wound Closure Device (April 12, 2005)
» GentleWaves® Light Emitting Diode (April 7, 2005)
» EpiFLO Transdermal Oxygen Delivery System (March 18, 2005)
» Contour Threads ™ (March 11, 2005)
» BRAVA breast enhancement (February 18, 2005)
» The ActiPatch device (February 11, 2005)
