CareFusion, a global medical device company, has entered into a distribution agreement with Minimally Invasive Devices, a venture-backed Ohio medical device company, to market and sell the FloShield product line for laparoscopic surgeries.
With this agreement, CareFusion is expected to be the external distributor for FloShield and will distribute the products alongside its own industry line of V.Mueller and Snowden-Pencer surgical instruments.
FloShield addresses several issues surgeons face while performing laparoscopic surgery, said the company. Specifically, the product helps keep the laparoscope lens free from debris and fog during surgery. This helps to reduce the need for surgeons to remove and clean the lens, leading to reduced surgery time.
FloShield is an approximately 12-inch, clear, disposable sheath that fits over a laparoscope. The device integrates the existing air flow from standard insufflator lines to create a continuous air curtain that protects the laparoscope lens. This increases visibility and reduces the need to remove the laparoscope for cleaning, by eliminating fogging and sticking of debris on the laparoscope lens.
Wayne Poll, CEO of Minimally Invasive Devices, said: “During minimally invasive surgery, operating room teams have struggled to keep the laparoscopic lens clean, either constantly removing it, or operating with a diminished view. FloShield has finally solved this problem and we could not be more pleased that CareFusion has partnered with us to help improve the safety and efficiency of a number of different procedures.”
Jim Leitl, vice president and general manager of Medical Specialties at CareFusion, said: “FloShield is a great example of CareFusion’s guiding principles of improving patient safety. We are excited to be working with Minimally Invasive Devices as an exclusive partner in external distribution and look forward to further expanding the use of this innovative device in operating rooms.”