NEOS Surgery has presented the new implantable surgical device STERN Fix™ at the 35th European Association for CardioThoracic Surgery (EACTS) annual meeting held from 13 to 16 October in Barcelona. The congress has brought together more than 3,000 participants from 69 countries through the dual in-person and online format.
Developed by the company’s R&D team over the last three years, STERN Fix™ was widely applauded by surgeons because it is a system that will help improve one of the most common procedures in open-heart surgery: sternum fixation.
Traditionally, stainless steel wire was used. The differentiating feature of STERN Fix™ is its intelligent design and the fact it is made of a Carbon Peek Matrix (an implantable compound combining the high-performance polymer, Peek-Optima® Natural, with carbon fiber) which provide the following advantages to both the surgeon and the patient:
– A bone-like behavior: the fiber-to-matrix bond can reduce the occurrence of stress at the bone-implant interface by more closely matching cortical bone stiffness. This results in a reduced risk of bone cut-through.
– Strong and reliable material: carbon fiber is being widely used for its strength properties and as a lightweight material in different industries. In the case of sternal closure, it helps maintain a continuous compression of the two halves, without loosening, while adapting to thoracic movements.
– An easy-to-handle device: it is needle-free, there is no perforation of the interior intercostal membrane, it comprises two pieces that can be engaged manually, and it is easily removed with a standard wire-cutting tool.
The company will begin a clinical study before the end of 2021 in a reference centre such as the Hospital Clinic Barcelona.
The market launch of STERN Fix™ is scheduled for 2022, once regulatory approvals are obtained, with a focus on Europe, USA and China. Surgeons and distributors who would like more information about the device should not hesitate to contact our Marketing and Sales team.
NEOS Surgery has successfully developed and marketed implantable surgical devices for cranial neurosurgery since 2013, and is present in more than 20 markets with the Cranial LOOP™ and Cranial COVER™.
LION’S DEN AWARD SESSION
In addition to presenting STERN Fix™ in the exhibition area, NEOS Surgery was asked to participate in the Lion’s Den Award session, assessing the major technological advances in all areas related to thoracic and cardiovascular research. They can then be submitted to the Techno-College Award, which is presented during the congress.
Lluís Chico, managing partner of the company and first vice-president of CataloniaBio & HealthTech, was on the panel of experts alongside Dr Ana Garcia, head of Cardiology Department at Hospital Clinic Barcelona and researcher at the August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS) and Spanish National Centre for Cardiovascular Research (CNIC), and Dr Michael Borger, head of Department Cardiac Surgery at University of Leipzig. The session was moderated by Prof Dr Volkmar Falk, director of the Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery of the German Heart Center Berlin, chair of the Division of Cardiovascular Surgery at the Charité Berlin and professor for Translational Cardiovascular Technologies at the ETH Zurich.
