Invuity Introduces Retractor System

Last week, Invuity, Inc. introduced its Breiten Illuminated Retractor System at the North American Spine Society (NASS) Annual Meeting in New Orleans. Breiten combines highly engineered retraction devices with innovative Eigr Illumination Technology that projects thermally cool, brilliant, white light uniformly throughout the surgical cavity. Breiten is designed for anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), anterior cervical corpectomy and other spinal procedures where visualization may be challenging.

“Traditional lighting sources are inadequate when operating through the smaller incisions used in the anterior approach to cervical discectomy, fusion and corpectomy, ” said Richard D. Guyer, M.D. in the October 9, 2013 news release. Dr. Guyer is past president of NASS and chairman of the Texas Back Institute Research Foundation. “Invuity’s Eigr Illumination Technology allows me to optimize my illumination for the individual patient and procedure, ensuring I have appropriate visualization of the surgical target and, therefore, the best outcomes for my patients.”

“With the spine market continuing to grow significantly, we are committed to providing a portfolio of devices that help meet surgeons’ needs for improved visibility, thereby helping to enable a variety of less invasive procedures to be performed, ” said Invuity Chief Executive Officer Philip Sawyer.

Breiten’s low profile design enables surgeons to work efficiently in deep, dark cavities through smaller incisions, without dependence on a headlight. The color-coded system is available in multiple blade configurations for varying patient anatomies and surgeon preferences and is radiolucent for maximum visibility during fluoroscopy.

The Breiten Illuminated Retractor System is an all-inclusive set optimally designed for cervical and lumbar spine surgeries and enables unsurpassed visualization of the disc space.

Regarding the Eigr Saber Waveguide with Yankauer, Sawyer told OTW, “The Eigr Saber Waveguide with Yankauer came out of the success of our Eigr Saber with Frazier suction platform. We initially developed the Eigr Saber handheld illuminator built on a Frazier suction platform for spine surgeons to improve visualization during lumbar and cervical spine surgery. When orthopedic surgeons saw the potential to improve their visualization in deep joint spaces, we developed a device with a larger lumen suction—the Eigr Saber Waveguide with Yankauer—specifically for them, for use across the many sub-specialties in orthopedic surgery, including orthopedic reconstruction and trauma.”

As for the Breiten, Sawyer noted, “We identified an unmet need in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion procedures, where traditional lighting sources were inadequate when operating through the smaller incisions used in the challenging anterior approach, even when using a microscope. In response, we developed the Breiten Illuminated Retractor System, which combines illumination with retraction and provides a variety of blade sizes and tips so surgeons can optimize illumination for the individual patient and procedure. As a result, surgeons can now visualize the critical anatomy around the spine and into the disc space with startling clarity.”