News and New Products
Medi Introduces Mediven® Sheer & Soft
Stylish and Comfortable Compression Therapy Treatments Now Available
Whitsett, N.C. – Medi USA, a worldwide leader in medical therapy products, introduces Mediven® Sheer & Soft, a complete line of fashionable, discreet and comfortable compression stockings suitable for day and evening wear. Mediven® Sheer & Soft empowers women to take control of their leg health with confidence and style.
“Consumers should not have to compromise their health in favor of fashion,” says Brian Kletch, product manager. “We’re proud to present Mediven® Sheer & Soft to our customers so that they can enjoy the best in compression therapy, with lasting comfort and superior style.”
In an independent survey, Mediven® Sheer & Soft was chosen four to one as the sheerest stocking, and 87% of the time as the softest stocking versus the leading brand. Competitive independent testing also confirms that Mediven® Sheer & Soft was clinically proven to have superior moisture regulation and be 38% more durable than the leading competitor.
The complete Mediven® line includes ready-made and special order prescription and non-prescription stockings. Mediven® stockings are manufactured with skin-friendly yarns and dyes and are guaranteed to provide precise graduated compression for a full six months.
To give the health- and fashion-conscious consumer even more choices, Mediven® Sheer & Soft is available in a variety of styles including calf, thigh, panty and maternity panty, and two leg lengths, standard and petite. All styles can be ordered in one of five colors: wheat, natural, toffee, smoke and ebony. Physician recommended Mediven® Sheer & Soft is available in four levels of compression: 8-15 mmHg, 15-20 mmHg, 20-30 mmHg and 30-40 mmHg.
As part of Medi USA’s commitment to lifelong health and well-being, the company will make a $1 donation to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation for each pair of Mediven® Sheer & Soft purchased (15-20 mmHg and higher levels only).
About Medi
A worldwide leader in vein health, orthopedics and medical prosthetics for more than 80 years, Medi offers a full line of innovative over-the-counter and prescription-based compression stockings, orthotics and prosthetics. Working closely to meet the needs of its patients, Medi provides treatment options and prevention therapies to improve the life of each customer. The company’s products and technologies consistently rank at the highest level of innovation, and are created using the latest research and advancements in medical science.
For more information on the new Mediven® Sheer & Soft style, and the complete line of Mediven® compression hosiery, call (800) 633-6334.
NHS National Innovation Centre Cites VNUS Closure® Procedure as Select Innovative Technology
Minimally Invasive Treatment for Varicose Veins to be showcased at National Health Service EXPO
SAN JOSE, CALIF., April 3, 2009 – VNUS® Medical Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: VNUS), a worldwide leader in medical devices for the minimally invasive treatment of venous reflux disease, today announced that the UK NHS National Innovation Centre has identified the VNUS Closure® procedure as a select innovative technology that is bringing benefits to National Health Service (NHS) hospitals and patients. The VNUS Closure procedure is a minimally invasive treatment for patients suffering with symptomatic varicose veins and venous reflux, and has been demonstrated in numerous comparative studies to offer advantages over conventional vein stripping surgery. The technique will be showcased at the NHS EXPO Meeting on June 18-19, 2009.
“Our treatment alternative has enabled many NHS Trusts to perform a very common operation virtually pain-free in a simple treatment room in around 30-40 minutes without a general anaesthetic or overnight stay,” said Michael Branagan-Harris, UK Managing Director for VNUS Medical Technologies UK Ltd. “This in turn has enabled hospitals to save money by freeing up expensive resources such as operating theatres, ward beds and staff for more invasive procedures.”
“It is clear that by freeing up hospital operating theatres and reducing both treatment and recovery times, this technique offers significant benefits for both the patient and the NHS,” said Mr. Brian Winn, Head of Technology & Product Innovation at the NHS National Innovation Centre.
“In my view the VNUS Closure® procedure is the preferred technique to treat venous refl ux because it requires no special modifications to operating areas, is well tolerated by patients, requires minimal post-procedure analgesia and is highly effective at permanently closing the vein,” said Ian Franklin, Consultant Vascular Surgeon from Charing Cross NHS Hospital & Imperial College London.
Varicose veins are caused by increased pressure in the legs as a result of venous reflux and faulty valves in the leg veins. Left untreated, venous reflux can lead to painful varicose veins, swelling in the lower limbs, and skin problems, such as itching, redness, eczema, and leg ulcers.
For the past century, the traditional treatment for varicose veins has been a technique called vein stripping, which is carried out under general anaesthesia in operating theatres, and sometimes involves an overnight stay in a hospital bed. This treatment involves a groin incision and the complete removal of the saphenous vein, and recovery can be lengthy and uncomfortable. Surgeons in the NHS perform around 37,000 varicose vein stripping procedures every year.
The VNUS Closure® procedure consists of inserting a thin radio frequency (RF) catheter into the diseased vein through a small incision. The catheter then heats the diseased vein sequentially in 7-centimeter segments, sealing it from the inside and effectively closing it down. Blood returning to the heart then naturally reroutes through healthy veins containing normal valves.
“We are delighted that the NHS National Innovation Centre is showcasing our technology at the forthcoming EXPO meeting, and appreciate their support in driving the acceptance and adoption of our innovative treatment through NHS Hospitals across the UK,” said Brian Farley, President and CEO of VNUS Medical Technologies, Inc. “With the support of the NHS, Charing Cross NHS Hospital in London and Ian Franklin, we are continuing our programs to train more surgeons in the VNUS Closure procedure so that more UK patients can benefit from this proven technology.”
Additional information about the VNUS Closure Procedure can be found at www.vnus.com. To learn more about the NHS National Innovation Centre please visit www.nic.nhs.uk.
About Vnus Medical Technologies, Inc.
Founded in 1995 and headquartered in San Jose, California, VNUS Medical Technologies (NASDAQ: VNUS) is a worldwide leader in medical devices for the minimally invasive treatment of venous reflux disease.
Varicose vein device girds for market, funds
Medical startup VeinAid LLC is looking to address varicose veins with a disposable plastic device, eliminating the need for surgery or other expensive, sometimes ineffective therapies.
Varicose veins affect some 30 million Americans, resulting in a potential $300 million a year market after five years, according to Tom Kottler, the founder and CEO of VeinAid. “It’s a significant medical problem, with lots and lots of people carrying the symptoms,” he said.
A varicose vein is caused when valves pumping blood up from the calf muscle to the heart fails. Gravity pulls the blood back down the vein, resulting in a backflow that distends and discolors the vein, explained Kottler. Treatments for varicose veins have been around for centuries, and include stripping the vein, sclerotherapy injections, compression stockings, or catheter-based vein ablation. Such therapies are often expensive, painful, and don’t always present a final solution, said Kottler.
Fairfield Conn.-based VeinAid’s treatment relies on a specially molded piece of plastic, costing about three dollars, which is affixed to the leg at the highest point where the varicose vein is visible. The device puts gentle pressure on the varicose vein and prevents the blood from flowing back down into the calf and reduces reflux by as much as 95 percent. Cosmetic improvements can occur in as little as 90 seconds, the company claims.
VeinAid’s approach is noninvasive and relatively inexpensive, which makes it unique, according to Michael Tal, associate professor at the Yale University School of Medicine, who serves on the company’s medical advisory board.
The VeinAid devices have gone successfully through clinical trials, according to Kottler, who expects VeinAid to receive 510k clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and hit the market in the first quarter of 2010. The company has already raised $2 million from founders and angels, and expects to secure up to $3 million more in the next year through a Series A round.
Kottler is a former corporate litigator turned investor and inventor. Among other companies, he founded Boston-based health-care billing software maker MedAptus Inc.
Source: http://www.masshightech.com
1470 nm diode laser gains FDA clearance for vein surgery
Biolitec has received 510K clearance to market its ELVeS PL laser for use in vein surgery. The device is specifically indicated for the treatment of reflux of the saphenous veins associated with varicose veins and varicosities.
The diode laser is the energy source for the ELVeS PL (Endo Laser Vein System) endoluminal laser therapy system, which is used in a non-contact mode that is especially suited to outpatient treatment in the office environment. According to the company, ELVeS PL laser treatment provides swift, safe outpatient procedures that can be performed in the doctor’s office. Using a laser tuned to 1470 nm delivered through an optical fiber, ELVeS PL lets doctors quickly achieve photodestruction and collapse of vein walls, treating the entire length to ensure complete closure of the vein. This provides a fast (45 minute) procedure with rapid patient recovery to normal activities.
Many medical laser systems for vein ablation use a 980 nm wavelength, which is absorbed by water to ablate tissue by creating vapor bubbles in nearby fluids. The ELVeS PL system uses a 1470 nm wavelength, which has 40 times greater absorption by water and more specifically targets soft tissue in the vein wall. The pain reported by patients treated with the 1470 nm laser was significantly lower than that reported by those treated with the 980 nm laser. During follow-up exams substantially less ecchymosis was observed after ablation with the 1470 nm laser than with the 980 nm laser and there was more paresthesia after ablation with the 980 nm laser than
was seen with the 1470 nm.
The portable ELVeS PL system weighs only 7.5 kg and produces up to 15 W of optical power. The laser unit can operate with 100V-240V power, making it convenient for use in a physician’s office without the need for special wiring. The laser can be set for continuous or pulsed energy delivery, with pulse widths ranging from 0.01 to 99.9 seconds
Source: http://www.bioopticsworld.com/articles/article_display.html?id=323108