Fascinating, Captain! An Ongoing Look at Advances & Innovations in Medical Device Technology

By Rick Fromme

Mr. Spock  (Star Trek) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ok, I admit it. I’m on a thematic roll. In addition to the newly launched blog series, “A Day in the Life," which profiles various jobs in the health care industry, I’ve thought of another — hopefully engaging — theme, which I’ll revisit periodically in my blogs. I’ve chosen to call this series, “Fascinating, Captain!” a phrase issued by Mister Spock from the famed “Star Trek” media franchise. Spock, as most know, served as science officer and first officer aboard the USS Enterprise. 

The “Fascinating, Captain!” series will highlight and describe new, ingenious technologies and inventions that are making their way into the health care profession across a broad spectrum of specialties. From 3D organ printing, to new surgical tools and implants, to innovative imaging equipment, to advances in nanotechnology, to Google Glass, and much more, these periodic blogs will introduce readers to cutting-edge technologies that are destined to advance health care. Products that will forever change how medicine is practiced and delivered; that is, in citing the infamous phrase from the “Star Trek” monologue: “To boldly go where no man has gone before.” 

Often in our industry, products can be produced that have high expectation and hopes, but sometimes, for a number of reasons, don’t deliver as anticipated in the field. By necessity, our profession needs advances that are going to be true game changers. Obviously, FDA approval is part and parcel of this process. But even more so, similar to peer-reviewed studies in the medical industry, is the legitimate recognition of new technologies undertaken by a broad cross section of industry pundits and specialists.

Since 1998, the mission of the Medical Design Excellence Awards (MDEA), sponsored by the Medical Design and Diagnostic Industry,

has been to recognize advances in medical product design and engineering that improve the quality of health care delivery and accessibility. The competition is structured to focus attention upon the complexity of development and to also showcase examples of excellence. Each year it recognizes the achievements of medical product manufacturers worldwide and the many people behind the scenes: engineers, scientists, designers, and clinicians who are responsible for conceiving of, inventing, and manufacturing groundbreaking —sometimes life saving — innovations that continually advance the field of health care, which will hopefully help us to “live long and prosper.”

Entries are evaluated by a multidisciplinary panel of jurors comprised of a balance of clinicians, engineers and designers with expertise in health care and design-related fields: clinical practice, medicine, biomedical engineering, industrial design, human factors, manufacturing and other related areas. Winning products must not only pass design and engineering excellence, manufacturing effectiveness and innovation, but also significantly contribute an overall benefit to the medical and health care industries.

You’ll notice that in some categories, only one winner was announced, whereas in others, not all the award levels were garnered by the submitted products.  Furthermore, every year one product above all the others is selected as “Best of Show.” MDEA also sites an individual for its “Lifetime Achievement Award.”

Due to lack of space, I’ve only included details and images of the Gold winners in each category. If you’d like more information about the finalists and winners, visit:  http://www.canontradeshows.com/expo/awards/awards/index.php?catId=-1&year=2013&view=View. 

Without further adieu, here are last year’s prestigious winners by category:

                      

Critical Care & Emergency Medicine Products 

BRONZE  

The Rota-Trach Tracheostomy Tube  Manufactured by Vitaltec Corp. (Taichung City, Taiwan).

SILVER 

Companion 2 Driver System  Manufactured by SynCardia Systems Inc. (Tucson, AZ).

GOLD

The AccuVein AV400 Vein Illumination System displays a map directly on the skin’s surface to locate veins for such procedures as veins for such procedures as IV starts, blood draw, sclerotherapy, general and cosmetic surgery. The ability to locate peripheral vasculature is invaluable in many medical procedures. Manufactured by AccuVein Inc. (Cold Spring Harbor, NY).   

                               

Courtesy of AccuVein

                                                                                                                            
Dental Instruments, Equipment & Supplies

BRONZE 

The Carestream CS 8100 Digital Panoramic System  Manufactured by Carestream Dental (Croissy-Beaubourg, Marne La Vallee, France).

SILVER  

The Zimmer Trabecular Metal Dental Implant  Manufactured by Zimmer Dental Inc. (Carlsbad, CA).

GOLD

EPIC Total Diode Laser System is a semiconductor diode laser system that facilitates three different types of dental treatments: soft tissue surgical procedures, laser-assisted tooth whitening, and temporary relief of minor pain in the oral/maxillofacial region. It features intelligent design, simpler user controls and ComfortPulse settings for greater patient comfort. Manufactured by BIOLASE Inc. (Irvine, CA).

Courtesy of Epic

Finished Packaging

GOLD
Lantus & You Journal for Lantus SoloSTAR supports patients with Type 2 diabetes who are new to using the Lantus SoloSTAR insulin injection pen (insulin glargine [rDNA origin]) by offering them an easy,step-by-step guide and a calming experience during their first seven days of treatment. Manufactured by Sanofi (Bridgewater, NJ).

                                                                    Courtesy of Lantus

General Hospital Devices & Therapeutic Products  

BRONZE

The PowerGlide Midline Catheter  Manufactured by Bard Access Systems (Salt Lake City, UT).

SILVER 

The Optiflow Junior Nasal Cannula  Manufactured by Fisher & Paykel Healthcare (Manukau, Auckland, New Zealand).

GOLD

Dansac NovaLife 1 &2 Ostomy Pouches are a series of open and closed ostomy pouches in a one and two piece version. Its purposed is to collect feces from an ostomy apeture in the abdomen. Manufactured by Dansac A/S (Fredensbork, Denmark).

Courtesy of Dansac

Implant & Tissue Replacement Products

BRONZE

The Orthofix Ankle Compression Nailing System (ACN)  Manufactured by Orthofix Srl. (Bussolengo, Italy).

SILVER  

The Cochlear Nucleus CR120 Intraoperative Remote Assistant  Manufactured by Cochlear Ltd. (Macquarie University, Australia).

GOLD / BEST-IN-SHOW

Jurors gave the GORE Septal® Helex® Occluder top marks in all five categories — design and engineering innovations, functional innovations, patient benefits, business benefits, and improvement to overall health care. Gore’s Septal Occluder is a permanently implanted cardiac prosthesis delivered via transcatheter approach. The implant prevents shunting of the blood between the right and left atria in the treatment of congenital heart defects of the atrial septum and for closure of a flap valve in the atrial septum that is thought to be a risk factor for stroke. Manufactured by W.L Gore & Associates Inc. (Flagstaff, AZ).

Courtesy of W.L.Gore & Associates

In Vitro Diagnostics

BRONZE 

Irys Genomics Platform  Manufactured by BioNano Genomics (San Diego, CA).

SILVER  

The EDGE Platform  Manufactured by HTG Molecular Diagnostics Inc. (Tucson, AZ).

 Over the Counter & Self-Care Products

BRONZE

Masimo’s iSpO2 Pulse Oximeter and the iSpo2 App  Manufactured by Masimo Corp. (Irvine, CA).

SILVER  

The SpeediCath Compact Set  Manufactured by Coloplast A/S (Humlebæk, Denmark).

GOLD
The new Enlite Glucose Sensor insertion device (not yet approved in the USA) is used by people with diabetes who use the Paradigm Veo insulin pump with built-in continuous glucose monitoring. It’s used to insert the glucose sensor beneath the skin. More comfortable and accurate than ever before, the new sensor gives better protection from dangerous highs and lows. Manufactured by Medtronic Minimed (Northridge, CA).

  Courtesy of Enlite

Radiological & Electromechanical Devices

BRONZE

The Avedro KXL System for Accelerated Corneal Crosslinking  Manufactured by Avedro (Waltham, MA).

SILVER 

Liposonix Custom Contouring  Manufactured by Solta Medical (Hayward, CA).

GOLD

Acessa System is a minimally invasive, outpatient therapy for treating fibroids using radio frequency volumetric thermal ablation. Each fibroid is destroyed by applying energy through a small needle array. Acessa allows surgeons to treat only the fibroids, while preserving normal function of the uterus. It provides the surgeon continuous monitoring and real-time temperature control. Manufactured by Halt Medical Inc. (Brentwood, CA).

Courtesy of Halt Medical Inc.

Rehabilitation & Assistive Technology Products

BRONZE  

The t:slim Insulin Pump  Manufactured by Tandem Diabetes Care Inc. (San Diego).

SILVER

mySentry Remote Glucose Monitor  Manufactured by Medtronic Diabetes (Northridge, CA).

GOLD

The Rifton TRAM Transfer and Mobility Device is designed for the safety, convenience and dignity of both patient and caregiver. Offering more utility for less cost, the TRAM seamlessly performs seated transfers and raises a patient for standing and supported ambulation. More than a patient lift system, the Rifton TRAM combines three powerful functions in one device: gait training, sit-to-stand transfers, and seated transfers. Manufactured by Rifton Equipment (Rifton, NY).

Courtesy of Rifton Equipment

Surgical Equipment, Instruments & Supplies

BRONZE  

The McCarus-Volker FORNISEE Lighted Manipulator System  Manufactured by LSI SOLUTIONS (Victor, NY).

SILVER

The NeoChord DS1000 Chordae Replacement System  Manufactured by NeoChord Inc. (Eden Prairie, MN).

GOLD

Sonicision Cordless Ultrasonic Dissection System is the medical industy’s first ultrasonic dissection device, indicated for soft-tissue incision and hemostasis in a variety of surgical procedures, including bariatric, colorectal, gynecological and urological. Giving surgeons complete freedom of movement in the OR, it is handheld, pistol-grip style, and battery-powered. Manufactured by Covidien (Boulder, CO).

Courtesy of Sonicision

Lifetime Achievement Award

Dr. Robert Langer, the David H. Koch Institute professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Langer's contributions include advancements in the fields of drug delivery, tissue engineering, nanotechnology, and personalized medicine. One of Langer’s early contributions in drug delivery involved changing the structure of biocompatible polymers to deliver molecules of nearly any size or charge. He also helped pioneer the use of 3D polymer scaffolds to create new tissues and organs, and helped create long-circulating nanoparticles that can target specific cells in the body, remote-controlled drug-delivery microchips, and smart polymers that can change shape when exposed to temperature or light. Langer has more than 800 pending and issued patents, which have been licensed to hundreds of companies, including medical device makers. He has also helped launch at least 27 companies based on his inventions. The most cited engineer ever, Langer has written more than 1200 articles and has received 20 honorary degrees from institutions of higher learning around the world. He served as chairman of FDA’s highest advisory board and was the youngest person ever elected to all three U.S. National Academies. Langer has been honored with more than 220 major awards, including the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.

Courtesy of MIT

As they say in the movie biz, “That's a wrap!”

Looking ahead, on April 2, the 2014 MDEA finalists will be announced in “MD+DI” magazine (www.mddionline.com) in advance of the June 10-12, 2014 Medical Design and Manufacturing East (MD&M East Event; www.MDMEast.com) in New York, which will feature the finalists and winning products from this year’s competition.

I’ll continue to keep you posted about this and other medical industry device products and key events in our “Fascinating Captain!” blog throughout the year. 

In this blog, I talked about the importance of having interdisciplinary recognition of newly created medical devices to ensure long-term success in the field. To that end, the preëminent Medical Design Engineering Awards enlists experts in the fields of clinical practice, medicine, biomedical engineering, industrial design, human factors, manufacturing and other related areas, to review hundreds of entries, and then chooses three winners in specific categories. (Note: In 2014, MDEA will add two new categories: Drug-Delivery Devices and Combination Products; and Medical Product Packaging, Graphic Instructions, and Labeling Systems). The international awards ceremony thus helps guarantee the practical application and long-term success of innovative products created worldwide in the ever-advancing and fascinating world of medical device technology. 

Star Trek: Starship Creator (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Rick Fromme combines entrepreneurial enthusiasm with an insider's knowledge of the medical industry to co-found MedMasters.com. Both his drive and perspective helps provide health care professionals with a superior mechanism with which to communicate, network and market their strengths. Prior to founding MedMasters.com, Rick operated a highly successful medical device distributorship. Other milestones in his 12-year career in the medical industry include a key position at a medical device start-up company that was later sold to the Ethicon Endo division of Johnson & Johnson. You may reach Rick by connecting with him on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn and YouTube.  

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