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Special thankyou to John Cottingham for alerting us to this innovation... * * * Bowdoinham Company Earns Gold Award (For MicroTargeting Platform System) [log in to unmask] 07/14/2004 FHC Inc. neurological device recognized for its "excellence" in design. Special to Business BOWDOINHAM - FHC Inc.'s microTargeting® Platform, a patient-customized neurosurgical "mini-frame," has received a Gold Award at the 2004 Medical Design Excellence Awards ceremony held recently in New York City. The Medical Design Excellence Awards program, sponsored by Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry, the leading trade journal published by Canon Communications, recognizes outstanding products and innovations in the engineering, manufacture or distribution of finished medical devices or medical packaging. FHC's microTargeting® Platform is transforming the way neurosurgical procedures for movement disorders are performed at many leading hospitals worldwide. Since its first use by co-inventor neurosurgeon Dr. Joel Franck at St Mary's Regional Medical Center in Lewiston, in late 2001, the platform has been used in more than 150 procedures with great success. Currently it primarily is used to treat symptoms of Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, and dystonia. Other potential applications for this patient customized surgical interface include most cranial or spinal treatments requiring precision targeting, such as tumor biopsy or radiosurgery. "We believe that patient-customized surgical fixtures are an idea whose time has come," says Ron Franklin, FHC's Stereotactic Technology Development Manager. "They improve the quality and outcome of health-care delivery for both patient and surgeon." With the microTargeting® Platform, a surgeon can plan and validate the procedure before the patient arrives for surgery, thus minimizing the time spent in the operating room. For the patient there is the benefit of free movement and relatively greater comfort. And finally, for the hospital, the relatively inexpensive custom Platform completely replaces the large stereotactic frames that are used currently and significantly reduces costs. The microTargeting Platform is one of many innovative products designed and manufactured by FHC Inc., a small company located in Bowdoinham. "FHC has been serving the neuroresearch community for more than 35 years- developing new microelectrode configurations, amplifiers, and positioning devices to meet clients' evolving research needs," the company's president, Fred Haer. "We have carried this design philosophy over into our clinical products." In the fall of 1998, FHC engineers set out to develop a new stereotactic device for the clinical neurosurgical market that was more comfortable and accurate than the large frames in use. They eventually realized they were working within the framework of a mechanical technology more than a century old. So, the team looked for a way to break down that limitation. "We looked at several emerging technologies and found in one a new way to design intelligent customized structures and in another the ability to manufacture them rapidly," said Franklin. "With the assistance of Dr. Franck, FHC engineers developed an innovative customized interface technology called STarFix™ (Surgical Targeting Fixtures). We then designed a surgeon customizable patient-to- instrument stereotactic device that is created using state of the art medical imaging, neurosurgical planning software, and rapid manufacturing processes." Officials at FHC now believe that the unique customized fixtures will also see widespread use in non-neurosurgical applications including orthopedic and reconstruction surgeries. Medical Design Excellence Awards entries are evaluated on design and engineering features including innovative use of materials, user related functions that improve healthcare delivery and change traditional medical attitudes or practices, features that provide enhanced benefits to the patient, and the ability of the product development team to overcome design and engineering challenges so the product meets its clinical objectives. SOURCE: The Times Record http://tinyurl.com/63na6 * * * Reference: FHC's StarFix MicroTargeting® Platform System (for Deep Brain Stimulation) FHC Headquarters 9 Main Street, Bowdoinham, ME, 04008 USA Phone: 207-666-8190 US & Canada: 1-800-326-2905 Fax: 207-666-8292 E-mail: [log in to unmask] http://www.fh-co.com microTargeting Technical Support 180 Main Street, Greenville, PA, 16125 USA Phone: 724-588-1249 US & Canada: 1-877-588-1249 Fax: 724-588-1273 E-mail: [log in to unmask] http://www.microTargeting.com Authorized Representative FHC GmbH Kassbergstr. 24 09112 Chemnitz GERMANY Tel: +49 371 3676 9565 Fax: +49 371 3676 9566 E-mail: [log in to unmask] FHC's Custom Surgical Platform; Wins Medical Design Excellence Award http://www.fh-co.com/news.html * * * Gold, Silver MDEA Winners Named Originally Published MDDI July 2004 The 2004 Medical Design Excellence Award winners received their prizes at a ceremony on June 16 at the Medical Design & Manufacturing East show in New York City. The ceremony marked the announcement of which products won gold awards and which ones won silver awards, as indicated below. Jurors were free to designate as many gold and silver awards in each category as they saw fit. For more information on the winners, see MD&DI, April 2004, p. 47. From Algo to Zassi: 2004 Winners Shine in Design (MD&DI, April 2004) http://www.devicelink.com/mddi/archive/04/04/004.html Critical-Care and Emergency Medicine Products GOLD: LifePort kidney transporter, manufactured by Organ Recovery System (Des Plaines, IL). SILVER: Audicor cardiograph expansion system, manufactured by Inovise Medical Inc. (Newberg, OR). Dental Instruments, Equipment, and Supplies GOLD: BiteStrip disposable bruxism test, manufactured by SLP Ltd. (Tel Aviv, Israel). SILVER: PrepMaster disposable air abrasion instrument, manufactured by Groman Inc. (Margate, FL). Finished Packaging GOLD: Dermabond topical adhesive ProPen XL, manufactured by Closure Medical Corp. (Raleigh, NC). (continued on page 28) General Hospital Devices and Therapeutic Products GOLD: Algo 3i newborn hearing screener, manufactured by Natus Medical Inc. (San Carlos, CA). GOLD: System 100 fluid-removal system, manufactured by CHF Solutions Inc. (Brooklyn Park, MN). GOLD: Zassi bowel management system, manufactured by Zassi Medical Evolutions Inc. (Fernandina Beach, FL). SILVER: Avalon CTS cordless fetal transducer system, manufactured by Philips Medizin Système GmbH (Boeblingen, Germany). SILVER: Syndeo patient-controlled analgesia syringe pump, manufactured by Baxter Healthcare Corp. (Round Lake, IL). Implant and Tissue-Replacement Products GOLD: Bion microstimulator, manufactured by Advanced Bionics Corp. (Valencia, CA). In Vitro Diagnostics GOLD: ThinPrep imaging system, manufactured by Cytyc Corp. (Boxborough, MA). SILVER: CellTracks AutoPrep system, manufactured by Immunicon Corp. (Huntingdon Valley, PA). SILVER: Paradigm Link blood glucose meter, developed jointly by BD Medical, Diabetes Care (Franklin Lakes, NJ); Medtronic MiniMed (Northridge, CA); and Nova Biomedical (Waltham, MA); and manufactured for BD Medical, Diabetes Care, and Medtronic MiniMed by Nova Biomedical. SILVER: VersaTrek automated microbial detection system, manufactured by Trek Diagnostic Systems Inc. (Cleveland). Over-the-Counter and Self-Care Products SILVER: HealthWear weight-loss system, developed and manufactured by BodyMedia Inc. (Pittsburgh) and marketed by Roche Diagnostics Corp. (Indianapolis). SILVER: Vicks underarm thermometer, manufactured by Kaz Inc. (New York City). Radiological and Electromechanical Devices GOLD: Partner Rhythm Assistant, manufactured by Guidant Corp. (Indianapolis). SILVER: Cardiac CryoAblation Catheter and CryoConsole, manufactured by CryoCath Technologies Inc. (Montreal, QC, Canada). SILVER: CT Exprés advanced contrast-media delivery system, manufactured by Swiss Medical Care SA (Lausanne, Switzerland). SILVER: Secca fecal incontinence treatment system, manufactured by Curon Medical Inc. (Fremont, CA). Rehabilitation and Assistive-Technology Products GOLD: Omega T-Ring CAD tool, manufactured by Ohio Willow Wood (Mount Sterling, OH). GOLD: Storm Series TDX5 power wheelchair, manufactured by Invacare Inc. (Elyria, OH). SILVER: Hand Mentor rehabilitation system, manufactured by Kinetic Muscles Inc. (Tempe, AZ). Surgical Equipment, Instruments, and Supplies GOLD: Endoscopic Full-Thickness Plicator, manufactured by NDO Surgical (Mansfield, MA). GOLD: MicroTargeting Platform System, manufactured by FHC Inc. (Bowdoinham, ME). SILVER: Diego powered dissector, manufactured by Gyrus ENT LLC (Bartlett, TN). SILVER: Indigo Optima laser system, manufactured by Ethicon Endo-Surgery Inc. (Cincinnati). SOURCE: Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry http://www.devicelink.com/mddi/archive/04/07/007.html * * * Further Reference: Innovation and Good Design: A Winning Combination MicroTargeting Platform System http://www.devicelink.com/mddi/archive/04/04/005.html Innovation and Good Design: A Winning Combination MicroTargeting® Platform System (PDF format Requires Adobe Acrobat) http://www.fh-co.com/MDDI%20MDEA%20reprint.pdf StarFix MicroTargeting Platform System (PDF format Requires Adobe Acrobat) http://www.fh-co.com/p67-69.pdf Testing The StarFix Platform File Format: Microsoft Powerpoint 97 http://www.tgt.vanderbilt.edu/reu2/REU2002/chris.ppt DBS Device Patents Issued to Maine Doctor http://tinyurl.com/4utc5 Bowdoinham, Maine http://www.fh-co.com/bowdoinhamviews.html * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn