A Medical Device Daily
ThermoGenesis (Rancho Cordova, California) reported the launch of its Res-Q 60 BMC system, an automated cell processing medical device for the concentration of bone marrow-derived stem cells at the point of care.
The company said that the Res-Q system processes bone marrow in minutes and delivers a high rate of stem cell recovery. The Res-Q system follows the late 2008 launch of the MXP MarrowXpress system, a laboratory device also used to collect stem cells from bone marrow.
According to the company, the Res-Q system is a microprocessor-controlled device and has a dedicated single-use disposable bag set for concentrating stem cells derived from bone marrow. It allows clinicians to automate blood volume reduction and facilitates cryopreservation of processed bone marrow aspirates. The bone marrow concentrates are used in spinal fusion procedures.
The company said it plans to initially target the orthopedic regenerative medicine market through its orthopedic distribution partner Celling Technologies a subsidiary of SpineSmith (Austin, Texas). Celling is distributor of orthopedic products and also serves as a distributor of the MXP System.
ThermoGenesis and Celling also reported an expanded collaboration between the two firms. Separately, the Company plans to expand Res-Q's applications into the cardiovascular and other non-orthopedic regenerative medicine markets.
As part of this expanded collaboration, ThermoGenesis and Celling will share in the funding for clinical studies to demonstrate the clinical effectiveness of both the MXP and Res-Q systems with Celling's orthopedic applications.
Incremental funding for clinical studies will be provided by ThermoGenesis and Celling as MXP and Res-Q sales grow. Celling will be responsible for coordinating the clinical trials.
ThermoGenesis has also launched its Res-Q system, an automated cell processing medical device for the concentration of bone marrow-derived stem cells at the point of care. Celling will be the distributor for the Res-Q System in orthopedic applications. Celling will also continue distributing the MXP system for the company.
Melville Engle, CEO of ThermoGenesis, said: "Celling has done an excellent job of supporting the MXP and we look forward to working with them with the launch of Res-Q and with this broader collaboration agreement. We expect that positive study results will accelerate the market adoption of our bone marrow processing technologies and should increase product sales."
He added that the introduction of this device will help the company access the growing regenerative medicine market in a "meaningful way."
"We believe our Res-Q system has considerable advantages over competing products and should help surgeons realize the true value of autologous cellular therapy," he said.
To date the company has released a wide arsenal of products which include:
• The BioArchive system, an automated cryogenic device, is used by cord blood stem cell banks in more than 25 countries for cryopreserving and archiving cord blood stem cell units for transplant.
• AXP AutoXpress Platform, a proprietary family of automated devices that includes the AXP and the MXP MarrowXpress and companion sterile blood processing disposables for harvesting stem cells in closed systems. The AXP device is used for the processing of cord blood. GE Healthcare is the exclusive global distribution partner for the AXP cord blood product except for Central and South America, China and Russia/CIS, where ThermoGenesis markets through independent distributors. The MXP is used for isolating stem cells from bone marrow.
• The CryoSea FS system, an automated device and companion sterile blood processing disposable, is used to prepare fibrin sealants from plasma in about an hour. The CryoSeal FS system is approved in the U.S. for liver resection surgeries. The CryoSeal FS system has received the CE mark. Asahi Medical is the exclusive distributor for the CryoSeal.