New Products and Industry News

Online wound care education site wins prestigious award

   Healthpoint (Fort Worth, Tex) announces that TheWoundInstitute.com, an online source for accredited wound care education, received the prestigious Stevie Award for Professional Education at the 2006 American Business Awards held in New York, NY, June 12, 2006.

   The American Business Awards is the only national, all-encompassing business award program that honors great performances in the workplace.

   Stevie Awards were presented in more than 40 categories and more than 1,500 entries from companies of all sizes, in virtually every industry, were submitted for consideration.

   Members of the Awards’ Board of Distinguished Judges and Advisors and their staffs selected Stevie winners from among finalists chosen by business professionals nationwide during preliminary judging earlier this year.

   Interact Medical, the company that partnered with Healthpoint to create TheWoundInstitute.com, shared the award. Interact Medical is a leading developer of interactive medical e-learning and marketing programs. Interact Medical creates visually based interactive learning and marketing solutions for companies in the medical sector.

   For more information, visit https://www.healthpoint.com.

Extended pediatric ostomy product line launched

   ConvaTec (Skillman, NJ) announces that the enhanced Little Ones® pediatric line of ostomy products for infants and children will be available globally over the next several months.

   This extensive ostomy product line was designed specifically for the pediatric population with thinner landing zones, welded edges for added softness against a baby’s delicate skin, and smaller sizes to accommodate lower-weight babies. The ostomy systems feature ConvaTec technologies including Adhesive Coupling Technology™ (ACT) and the InvisiClose® outlet, an integrated closure system that allows for easier drainage and a softer closure.

   The ostomy systems also use the Stomahesive® skin, hydrocolloid adhesive technology, which conforms to the folds of a child’s body. The new pouches are lined with colorful, Koala-themed fabric panels.

   For more information, visit https://www.convatec.com.

New alginate dressing with silver introduced

   Coloplast Corp. (Marietta, Ga) introduces SeaSorb®-Ag Alginate Dressing with Silver. The new dressing is identical to SeaSorb Soft alginate dressing, but also has the antimicrobial benefit of silver.

   The product utilizes a mix of calcium alginate and highly absorbent carboxymethylcellulose with the addition of an ionic silver complex that releases silver ions in the presence of wound exudate. As exudate is absorbed, the dressing forms a soft, cohesive gel that intimately conforms to the wound surface, maintaining an optimal moist wound-healing environment.

   The dressing is indicated for moderate to heavily exuding partial- to full-thickness wounds, including postoperative wounds, trauma wounds, leg ulcers, pressure ulcers, diabetic ulcers, and graft and donor sites. The dressing is ideal for cavity wounds.

   The dressing offers clinicians superior absorption performance and exudate management and provides 33% greater absorption than the leading silver dressing. The high retention capabilities also lock exudate away from the periwound area.

   For more information, call (800) 533-0464 or visit https://www.us.coloplast.com.

Company wins healthcare supplier quality award

    Ferris Mfg. Corp. (Burr Ridge, Ill) recently received the Supplier Performance Award from Premier Inc., a healthcare alliance owned by more than 200 of the nation’s leading not-for-profit hospitals and healthcare systems. These organizations operate or are affiliated with nearly 1,500 hospitals and more than 38,500 other healthcare sites.
   

   Of 400 eligible suppliers, Ferris Mfg. Corp. was one of 69 winners. Awards were presented to suppliers that consistently scored more than 80% on specific quality measures during four successive quarters.

    In the spring of 2006, the company introduced the product line Shapes™ by PolyMem. These dressings are pre-cut, easy-to-use, and are available in the most common wound shapes and sizes, reducing the need to manually cut dressings to size.
   For more information, visit https://www.PolyMem.com.

New therapeutic support surface improves patient safety

   Sten-Barr Medical (Tampa, Fla) introduced a self-adjusting, pressure-relieving mattress replacement that enhances patient safety. The SB Safety 100 is designed to address critical patient issues such as side rail entrapment, falls, and skin breakdown for the long-term care, acute care, and home care markets.

   The company developed the mattress using customer input and learned that caregivers were concerned about their patients’ safety on standard pressure-relieving mattresses. To address this, the patented SB Safety Perimeter System was built directly into the SB Safety 100. This feature uses a sturdy, raised foam edge to deter side rail entrapment and patient falls. A non-skid PVC bottom cover minimizes the mattress sliding on the bed frame, further protecting patient and caregiver from injury. Also, the foam-filled air cells of the mattress remain inflated in the case of a power outage, eliminating entrapment issues that can occur.

   The mattress also helps prevent and treat skin breakdown and pressure ulcers. The support surface derives its pressure-relieving therapy from a series of 12 lateral foam-filled air cells. These interconnected cells supply dynamic, self-adjusting therapy and require no manual inflation or adjustment. An optional control unit allows the mattress to quickly and easily convert to powered alternating pressure therapy for more aggressive treatment.

   For more information, visit https://www.stenbarr.com.

Aspirator receives new FDA indication

   Medela Medical Technology (McHenry, Ill) announces the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has indicated that the Vario 18 c/i aspirator may promote wound healing. This clearance represents a significant advancement in patient care by expanding the permitted claims for the device in wound treatment.

   The device is a medium vacuum, low-flow, constant/intermittent aspirator that can be used to remove fluid and infectious materials from wounds, the gastrointestinal system, airways, or respiratory support system either during surgery or at the bedside.

   Other aspirators include the Vario 8 for thoracic drainage; the Dominant 50 for plastic and general surgery; the Dominant 35 c/i for gastrointestinal, nasopharyngeal, and wound drainage; the Basic 30 for endoscopy, emergency, and general surgery; and the Clario, a homecare airway suctioning pump. These aspirators are supported by more than 25 years of research and innovation.

   For more information, visit https://www.medelasuction.com or call (877) 735-1626.