Medtronic's New Technology Designed to Prevent Surgical-Related "Never Events"
July 13, 2015 | MedtronicEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Medtronic plc today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire RF Surgical Systems, Inc., a medical device company based in Carlsbad, Calif., focused on the detection and prevention of retained surgical items (sponge, gauze or towel) for approximately $235 million. Additional terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
Despite rigorous surgical sponge counting protocols and medical society-driven awareness efforts, occasionally surgical items are left inside patients after wound closure. A sponge, gauze or towel left inside a patient may require additional x-rays and corrective surgical procedures to remove the retained surgical items. Left untreated, retained surgical items could cause serious and life-threatening issues such as intra-abdominal abscess, intestinal fistula or obstruction, perforated colon, hemorrhaging or infection.
The RF Surgical system is designed to be used as an adjunct to manual counting methods to help prevent such surgical sponge-related "never events," which are serious, largely preventable, and harmful clinical events. The proprietary detection system uses a low radio frequency (RF) signal to track and detect surgical gauze, sponges and towels (embedded with a RF tag) through blood, dense tissue and bone. The technology aims to reduce patient complications due to surgery, lessen unnecessary procedures, and increase efficiencies within the operating room.
"Patients are our priority. Improving patient safety and outcomes is our daily focus, which directly aligns with the RF Surgical technology, a simple and cost-effective solution to avoidable complications in surgical procedures," said Chris Barry, senior vice president and president of the Surgical Innovations business, Minimally Invasive Therapies Group at Medtronic.
"We are pleased to be joining the Medtronic team as their long-standing commitment to patient safety closely aligns with RF Surgical" said John T. Buhler, CEO of RF Surgical, Inc. "As we strive to make the RF Surgical technology the global standard of care, we look forward to the innovation opportunity afforded by our combined capabilities."
This acquisition supports Medtronic's economic value strategy. Partnering with stakeholders in healthcare, Medtronic is moving to offer products and services that deliver clinical and economic value to the healthcare system. Medtronic is focused on leading the shift to value based healthcare, which rewards those who can deliver quality healthcare to more people at the most affordable cost.
Medtronic will report the RF Surgical business as part of its Surgical Solutions division within the Minimally Invasive Technologies Group. The transaction is expected to meet Medtronic's long-term financial metrics for acquisitions, and the annualized earnings impact of this acquisition is not expected to be material. The deal is expected to close in August 2015, pending regulatory approvals.
About Medtronic
Medtronic plc, headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is the global leader in medical technology -- alleviating pain, restoring health and extending life for millions of people around the world.
Suggested Items
Micross, Sital Announce Global Manufacturing & Distribution Partnership
05/07/2024 | Micross Components, Inc.Micross Components, Inc., a leading global provider of mission-critical microelectronic components and services for high-reliability aerospace, defense, space and industrial applications, is pleased to announce our exclusive partnership with Sital Technology (sitaltech.com), the leader in MIL-STD-1553 IP cores, specializing in integrated FPGA solutions.
Real Time with… IPC APEX EXPO 2024: Innovative Lamination Technology
05/07/2024 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOKevin Barrett of Insulectro and Victor Lazaro of Indubond discuss their companies' partnership, focusing on Indubond's innovative lamination technology that uses induction heating. They discuss the advantages of this technology over traditional methods, its benefits to customers, and the crucial role of automation in manufacturing.
Indium Corporation to Showcase HIA Materials at ECTC
05/07/2024 | Indium CorporationAs an industry leader in innovative materials solutions for semiconductor packaging and assembly, Indium Corporation® will feature its advanced products designed to meet the evolving challenges of heterogeneous integration and assembly (HIA) and fine-pitch system-in-package (SiP) applications at the 74th Electronic Components and Technology Conference (ECTC), May 28‒31, in Denver, Colorado.
IDTechEx Discusses Low-Loss Materials: The Enabler of Future Connected Vehicles?
05/06/2024 | IDTechExFuture connected vehicles will offer future drivers a safer, smoother, and more convenient driving experience. Not only will drivers get access to more navigation and entertainment options, but they will also gain access to safety technologies that will potentially reduce accidents, improve congestion, and reduce emissions globally by allowing vehicle safety systems to communicate with each other and with city traffic infrastructure.
BrainChip, Frontgrade Gaisler to Augment Space-Grade Microprocessors with AI Capabilities
05/06/2024 | BUSINESS WIREBrainChip Holdings Ltd, the world’s first commercial producer of ultra-low power, fully digital, event-based, neuromorphic AI IP, and Frontgrade Gaisler, a leading provider of space-grade system-on-chip solutions, announce their collaboration to explore the integration of BrainChip’s AkidaTM neuromorphic processor into Frontgrade Gaisler’s next generation fault-tolerant, radiation-hardened microprocessors.