US-based medical equipment manufacturer Checkpoint Surgical has expanded its intraoperative nerve care portfolio with the new offering, Checkpoint Edge Nerve Cutting Kit.
Checkpoint Edge is designed to provide the surgeon with control of placement, tension and transection, enabling consistent nerve tissue preparation for aligned coaptation.
According to the company, conventional nerve cutting methods may flatten and crush the nerve tissue, resulting in distortion of nerve ends and making them difficult to align during coaptation.
Checkpoint claimed that its Edge nerve cutting kit will employ circumferential constraint to maintain the nerve’s natural shape during transection.
The device also prevents the nerve from sliding, flattening and nerve edge malformation, and helps to preserve the fascicular group alignment and tissue integrity, said the company.
Checkpoint Surgical president and CEO Derek Lewis said: “Checkpoint Edge complements our market-leading stimulator and implant products and is designed to provide the surgeon with the ability to protect and preserve nerve tissue during nerve transection.
“We are committed to expanding our product portfolio to address the continuum of intraoperative peripheral nerve care, and the Checkpoint Edge products will form a key part of our strategy.”
In non-circumferential methods, the surgeons may require an additional set of hands to grasp and tension the nerve while performing the transection.
With an advanced cutting head design, the Checkpoint Edge is said to facilitate a secure, single-handed grip to grasp and tension the sacrificial nerve segment.
It would also allow the surgeon to gently constrain the part of the nerve to be preserved.
Checkpoint Edge’s cutting slot, which accommodates standard blades, will allow the surgeon to make a right-angle cut with his other hand, said the company.
The company rolled out its new edge nerve-cutting kit as the first offering in its portfolio of nerve-specific instruments, with plans to further expand it in the future.
It has worked together with Indiana Hand to Shoulder Centre associate fellowship programme director Brandon Smetana for the development of the device.
Smetana said: “Performing neurorrhaphy begins with nerve end preparation to healthy fascicular tissue. Preserving nerve integrity while generating a cut nerve face that optimises both repair and regeneration is of utmost importance.
“Utilising circumferential constraint while performing nerve end preparation has the potential, through continued investigation, to minimise variability while maximising regenerative potential through preservation of nerve ultrastructure.”
