Smith & Nephew‘s Versajet Hydrosurgery System was just recognized by the Wall Street Journal’s 2006 Technology Innovation Awards. The innovative wound debridement system is in essence a Venturi effect based instrument:
A high velocity stream of sterile saline jets across the operating window and into an evacuation collector. Because of the Venturi effect, a localised vacuum is created across the operating window. This holds and cuts targeted tissue while aspirating debris from the site. Versajet’s unique properties enable clinicians to debride traumatic wounds, chronic wounds, or other soft tissue lesions or remove contaminants from a wound quickly and efficiently.
The system is highly controllable:
At the lowest power levels, Versajet will function mainly as a vacuum and remove little or no tissue with each pass. As the power is increased, tissue ablation increases, as does the ability to remove harder, tougher tissue types. At the highest power levels, the Versajet system will remove nonviable tissue very rapidly and cut all but the hardest tissues.
The system is highly controllable:Product page at Smith & Nephew…