A Medical Device Daily

Misonix (Farmingdale, New York), a developer of minimally invasive ultrasonic medical device technology, which in Europe is used for the ablation of tumors and worldwide for other acute health conditions, has entered into a new, three year distribution agreement with Chirugia (Buenos Aires, Argentina), for the distribution of the SonaStar ultrasonic surgical aspirator and the BoneScalpel ultrasonic bone cutter. The agreement provides Chirugia with the rights to sell exclusively in Argentina and includes minimum purchase requirements (International report).

Chirugia has a lengthy history of successfully introducing state-of-the-art medical devices and capital equipment to the Argentine surgical marketplace. They are recognized for their special expertise in neuro and spine surgery.

The SonaStar is used by Neuro and General Surgeons for quick and efficient removal of both hard and soft tumors while sparing most vessels. In addition, OsteoSculpt bone sculpting technology can be employed with the SonaStar to safely remove osseous structures, thus providing access to the surgical site.

The BoneScalpel is a tissue specific osteotomy device capable of making precise cuts through bone and hard tissue while largely preserving delicate soft tissue structures. It offers the convenience and speed of a power instrument without the danger associated with rotary sharps.

"Misonix is pleased to add Chirugia to our family of South American specialty distributors, a geographic area that is receiving a focused effort from our Sales and Marketing team," said Michael McManus, Jr., president/CEO of Misonix. "We are particularly pleased that they will be distributing two of our key products through their well established surgical products organization."

Misonix develops therapeutic ultrasonic medical devices and laboratory equipment that is used for wound debridement, cosmetic surgery, neurosurgery, laparoscopic surgery, and other surgical and medical applications.

IOptima in agreement with China Meheco

IOptima (Ramat Gan, Israel) reported that that it has executed an exclusive cooperation agreement with China Meheco regarding the distribution of the OT-135 laser based system, known also as IOPtiMate, for the non invasive filtration treatment of glaucoma.

Under the agreement, China Meheco will receive exclusive distribution rights in China and will be responsible for the registration and regulatory approval process with the SFDA, the medical regulatory authority in China. IOptima will be responsible for supporting the Meheco regulatory process and supply the systems required for the process.

In addition, the parties will jointly conduct a pilot and demonstration study in China, in central Ophthalmic Centers in China demonstrating the use and clinical utility of the IOPtiMate.

IOPtima is focused in the development and commercialization of advanced technologies for glaucoma treatment, developed a novel CO₂ laser based system (IOPtiMate) which enables the performance of a filtration procedure for the alleviation of intra ocular pressure.

China Meheco was in the past a division within the China Foreign Trade Ministry responsible for import and export of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies. After being spun out to a commercial corporation, Meheco is today a government controlled company publicly traded in China, with a multi-billion dollar turnover dealing in the trade and distribution of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies.

It is estimated that there are about 15 million glaucoma patients in China, half of which are diagnosed. Of those diagnosed, only a small number are currently treated, due to the high cost of medication treatment, and high complication rate of currently existing surgical solutions.

IOptima is a subsidiary of Bio-Light, Israeli Life Sciences Investments Ltd., a management and holding company specializing in developing life sciences developments.

SGH activates Eclipsys software

Eclipsys (Atlanta), reported that Singapore General Hospital (SGH), Singapore's oldest and largest acute tertiary hospital and national referral center, has successfully activated Eclipsys' Sunrise Patient Flow solution. The on-time, on-budget technology, automation and process redesign project illustrates how Eclipsys' integrated and intuitive bed management, bed turnover and patient flow system can quickly bring operational improvements to even the most complex healthcare organizations. With 1,500-beds in its acute care environment, and treating 70,000 patients annually, SGH is successfully using Sunrise Patient Flow to improve the workflows and communications of its clinical, administrative and support staff. Combined with real-time clinical visibility, the solution is yielding substantial clinical and operational advantages as it supports the goal of optimized patient throughput and efficient delivery of patient care.

"The bed management system improves patient flow with real-time information that helps our staff anticipate and manage their workflow," said Wong Yue Sie, MD, chief operating officer of the SingHealth Group and Singapore General Hospital. "Together, we can drive patient flow through the continuum of a patient's hospital stay with greater efficiency. Ultimately this creates a safer and more satisfactory experience for our patients as we can better coordinate the resources needed to support their care."

The "big bang" activation of Sunrise Patient Flow was completed in about five months – and without any major disruption in SGH's care delivery. Remarkably, hospital leaders continued with the implementation while the hospital simultaneously dealt with the emergence of the H1N1 pandemic. The experience gave the team insights on how to enhance the system further to support future pandemic situations.

Upon entering the hospital, each SGH inpatient receives a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. A real-time location system (RTLS) identifies patient location via the tag – and automates workflow related to patient movements. As a result, the system enables SGH staff – whether clinical, administrative or support – to eliminate manual tasks related to the movement of patients through the system. Instead of requiring staff members to make multiple phone calls to one another in an attempt to coordinate patient flow, the system automates communicating "current" activities and "next step" requests. These tightly coupled and integrated systems are designed to reduce the amount of time that clinical and support staff spends behind the computer, enabling them to allot more time to focus on patient care.

"The SGH activation is certainly an important milestone for this valued client and for our company," said Tim Rutledge, Eclipsys' senior VP of Enterprise Performance Management.

"Our structured project methodology and strong partnership approach has enabled us to help our clients activate quickly and see a fast ROI. The fact that we were successful in activating an international client of this size, scale and complexity validates our process and confirms the strengths of our solution."