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E Q U I P M E N T
Mission Surgery Center
C A P I T A L
New Trends in
Power
Tools
Cordless, single-use, handheld
devices will soon hit the market.
DISPOSABLE DRILLS? Orthopedic surgeon Brett Sanders,
MD, at Memorial Mission Surgery Center in Chattanooga, Tenn.
W
Dan O'Connor | Editor-in-Chief
e'll soon know if your orthopedic surgeons are ready for
single-use power tools, cordless handpieces that you'd
open at the time of surgery, use once and then dispose of
as medical waste. Sounds radical, yes, but keep in mind that these
soon-to-be released disposable saws, reamers and drills aren't intended to replace your traditional power tools, only to stand by at the
ready in case of an overly busy schedule, a dead battery, reprocessing
troubles, or tools that are out of commission or in need of repair.
The single-use tools will be provided clean and sterile, weigh less than
6-pound traditional handpieces, be powered by rechargeable lithium-ion
batteries and cost a few hundred dollars apiece, says a source. A company called Insurgical received 510(k) clearance in November for its singleM A R C H 2013 | O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E
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