BIOTRONIK, a leading manufacturer of cardiovascular medical technology, today announced an agreement to be the US distributor of CFI Medical’s Zero-Gravity weightless radiation protection system.
To date, more than 275 Zero-Gravity systems have been installed in hospitals around the US.
Zero-Gravity is a suspended lead body shield which provides optimal, weightless radiation protection without impeding the physician’s freedom of movement.
Radiation exposure, along with the physical strain of wearing heavy lead aprons for radiation protection, is a professional risk that physicians who work with fluoroscopy have long endured.
A 2014 survey found that 49% of interventional cardiologists reported at least one orthopedic issue from the strain of wearing heavy protective apparel and nearly 29% confessed to not wearing radiation badges, reportedly for fear of being removed from the laboratory for high dosimetry readings.
"Zero-Gravity has proven to be an immense benefit to the electrophysiologist, as well as the hospital and patients, by enabling interventional procedures to be performed without the burden of heavy lead," said Dr. Colin Movsowitz, Cardiology Consultants of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
In addition to the burden on physicians’ health and careers, hospitals may risk a financial burden due to effects of radiation protection.
A high-volume interventional physician that is unable to perform procedures for six months due to back pain can cost a hospital more than a million dollars in procedural revenue2. Since invasive cardiology departments are often one of the highest revenue generators for the hospital, having key income generating physicians on the sidelines can be costly.
"BIOTRONIK is proud to partner with CFI Medical to provide physicians and hospitals with Zero-Gravity as a proactive protection solution," said Marlou Janssen, President of BIOTRONIK.