Science and Technology: Medical Devices (Part 6)

Medical Devices

Sidne Voice Activation System 2003

As the first FDA-approved Bluetooth-ready medical device, Sidne represents where the future of Bluetooth is headed in the device industry. The system, which stands for Stryker integrated device network, uses voice recognition to give surgeons control over endoscopy equipment in the operating room without touching a button. Bluetooth technology eliminates tangled cable wires from the control unit to devices on the operating table, and a wireless headshot gives surgeons the freedom to move, as well as answer and dial calls through the hospital. The device is also modular, allowing hospitals to customize the control package based on their needs.

LifePort Organ Transporter 2003

The method of storing and transporting organs has traditionally involved placing an organ in a cooler filled with ice until the LifePort Organ Transporter came into the picture. The product uses mobile machine perfusion to improve transplant outcomes, allowing the use of more organs and lowering the number of organs discarded. The process involves pumping a cold solution through the organ to reduce tissue damage even while the organ is in transport. The LifePort started as a transporter for kidneys and has been so successful that the product is branching out into use for the heart, pancreas, liver, lung, and intestines.

Pinnacle TPN Management System 2007

In an improvement on patient safety, the Pinnacle system provides a safe and easy way to check, compound, and deliver total parenteral nutrition (TPN) to patients. The device controls intravenous formulations using amino acids, dextrose, electrolytes, and lipids for patients who rely on tube feeding or can't tolerate oral intake of food. The Pinnacle system streamlines the TPN process by combining automated compounding technology with a safety verification system and special software. The system can accurately measure and combine up to nine nutritional compounds and prepares one liter of TPN solution in less than one minute. Its safety-check software and bar coding ensure that solution is going to the correct patient.

Impella 2.5 Circulatory Support System 2008

The Impella 2.5 is a minimally invasive, percutaneous cardiac assist device that allows the heart muscle to rest and recover. Impella is designed to actively unload the left ventricle, reduce heart muscle workload and oxygen consumption, and increase cardiac output and coronary and end-organ perfusion. Impella received FDA 510(k) clearance in June 2008 and has been used to treat heart attack patients, patients undergoing high-risk angioplasty, peripartum cardiomyopathy, and viral myocarditis. It is ¹∕100 the size of the heart. The device is approved in more than 40 countries, has been used to treat more than 1700 patients worldwide, and has been the subject of more than 50 peer-reviewed publications. The device was the recipient of a 2007 Medical Design Excellence Award.

Many key technologies got their start before MD&DI's inception and before current regulations. Here are a few that have made a significant contribution to the way medicine is practiced.