Elmbrook Memorial, which began offering robotic surgeries earlier this year, celebrated its 100th robotic surgery. Elmbrook Memorial offers many types of robotic surgeries including prostate, urologic, gynecologic, gastric bypass, and colorectal. Using the da Vinci Surgical System, the surgeon operates while seated comfortably at a console viewing a 3D image of the surgical field. The surgeon’s fingers grasp the master controls below the display, with hands and wrists naturally positioned relative to his eyes.

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FDA reviewers expressed concern with the increased number of cancer cases seen in degenerative disc disease patients implanted with an investigational Medtronic spine device compared with patients who underwent spinal fusion. The Amplify device stabilizes lower back vertebrae in patients with degenerative disc disease by using a compression resistant matrix and a metallic posterior spinal instrument. Amplify contains rhBMP-2, a morphogenetic protein that is added to the device to spur the formation of new bone.

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NuOrtho Surgical, a surgical instrument developer based at the Advanced Technology and Manufacturing Center, has received FDA clearance to market its surgical probe. The approved probe, called Ceruleau, is NuOrtho’s first device to hit the market. NuOrtho received FDA clearance sooner than expected, Jeffrey Morrill, NuOrtho’s CEO, said. The company is now working to ramp up manufacturing and line up distributors. Within the next few months, as Ceruleau hits the market, the small company plans to hire about 20 people.
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Micro Power Electronics, Inc. has announced the capability to manufacture rechargeable lithium-ion battery packs that can be sterilized via hydrogen peroxide gas without performance degradation. These battery packs provide surgical instrument manufacturers with the maximum power for a cordless surgical device. The sterilization of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries with hydrogen peroxide gas enables hospitals to utilize a popular sterilization process while providing surgeons with the most power for their surgical tools.

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PolyTouch Medical Ltd. has announced that it has received broad FDA 510(k) clearance to commercialize PatchAssist(TM). PatchAssist is an innovative laparoscopic surgical instrument that enables accurate and rapid delivery and placement of soft tissue prosthetics for a variety of procedures, including laparoscopic ventral hernia repair (LVHR). PatchAssist enables surgeons to rapidly deliver and position soft tissue prosthetics over the defect potentially reducing operation time by 30% – 50%.

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Wright Medical Group, Inc. has announced the commercial launch of the XPANSION(R) Micrografting System for split-thickness skin grafting via a minimized donor site. The XPANSION(R) System is a single-use disposable instrument kit for harvesting, expanding, and applying split-thickness skin micro-autografts for the treatment of chronic and acute wounds. The current standard of care for skin grafting procedures is usually performed in the operating room under general anesthesia.

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American company Ethicon Endo-Surgery (EES) has launched two surgical staplers aimed at boosting efficiency and compression during open surgery. These two devices are the newest arrivals in the surgical instruments specialists’ range of colorectal surgery equipment. The Ethicon Endo-Surgery Linear Cutter 55/75, designed with new staple technology and variable staple heights in a single cartridge, offers improved haemostasis for patients and greater efficiency for nurses and health managers as well as surgeons.

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SafeStitch Medical, Inc. has announced that it has received 510(k) clearance from the FDA to market its AMID StaplerTM in the U.S. with the intended use in general surgery procedures for fixation of mesh, in the repair of hernia defects and in other surgical specialties for the approximation of tissues, including skin. The AMID Stapler™ is the first surgical stapler designed specifically for use in inguinal hernia repairs.

According to a study published recently in the Journal of Neurosurgery, neurosurgeons at the Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, Ariz. found that the pen-sized microscope could help them precisely identify where tumor tissue ends and healthy tissue begins. A laser microscope that picks up fluorescently-dyed cells could result in more precise tumor extraction during brain surgery, and streamlined workflows in the operating room.

W.L. Gore and Associates (Gore) has announced that it has received European CE Mark approval for the next generation GORE TAG® Thoracic Endoprosthesis. The device is available in an expanded portfolio of sizes to meet a broad range of patient needs and was engineered to treat multiple etiologies including thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAAs), traumatic aortic transections and thoracic aortic dissections.