MEDICAL DEVICE INNOVATION - Medical Device Daily

MEDICAL DEVICE INNOVATION 2010
ThermoGenesis launches Res-Q,
expands into bone marrow market
A Medical Device Daily Staff report
ThermoGenesis (Rancho Cordova, California) reported
the launch of its Res-Q 60 BMC system, an automated
cell processing medical device for the concentration of
bone marrow-derived stem cells at the point of care.
The company said that the Res-Q system processes
bone marrow in minutes and delivers a high rate of stem
cell recovery. The Res-Q system follows the late 2008
launch of the MXP MarrowXpress system, a laboratory
device also used to collect stem cells from bone marrow.
According to the company, the Res-Q system is a microprocessor-controlled
device and has a dedicated single-use
disposable bag set for concentrating stem cells derived
from bone marrow. It allows clinicians to automate blood
volume reduction and facilitates cryopreservation of
processed bone marrow aspirates. The bone marrow concentrates
are used in spinal fusion procedures.
The company said it plans to initially target the orthopedic
regenerative medicine market through its orthopedic
distribution partner Celling Technologies a subsidiary of
SpineSmith (Austin, Texas). Celling is distributor of orthopedic
products and also serves as a distributor of the MXP
System.
ThermoGenesis and Celling also reported an expanded
collaboration between the two firms. Separately, the
Company plans to expand Res-Q’s applications into the
cardiovascular and other non-orthopedic regenerative
medicine markets.
As part of this expanded collaboration, ThermoGenesis
and Celling will share in the funding for clinical studies to
demonstrate the clinical effectiveness of both the MXP and
Res-Q systems with Celling’s orthopedic applications.
Incremental funding for clinical studies will be provided
by ThermoGenesis and Celling as MXP and Res-Q sales
grow. Celling will be responsible for coordinating the clinical
trials.
ThermoGenesis has also launched its Res-Q system, an
automated cell processing medical device for the concentration
of bone marrow-derived stem cells at the point of
care. Celling will be the distributor for the Res-Q System in
orthopedic applications. Celling will also continue distributing
the MXP system for the company.
Melville Engle, CEO of ThermoGenesis, said: “Celling
has done an excellent job of supporting the MXP and we
look forward to working with them with the launch of Res-
Q and with this broader collaboration agreement. We
expect that positive study results will accelerate the market
adoption of our bone marrow processing technologies
and should increase product sales.”
He added that the introduction of this device will help
the company access the growing regenerative medicine
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market in a “meaningful way”.
“We believe our Res-Q system has considerable advantages
over competing products and should help surgeons
realize the true value of autologous cellular therapy,” he
said.
To date the company has released a wide arsenal of
products which include:
• The BioArchive system, an automated cryogenic
device, is used by cord blood stem cell banks in more than
25 countries for cryopreserving and archiving cord blood
stem cell units for transplant.
• AXP AutoXpress Platform, a proprietary family of
automated devices that includes the AXP and the MXP
MarrowXpress and companion sterile blood processing disposables
for harvesting stem cells in closed systems. The
AXP device is used for the processing of cord blood. GE
Healthcare is the exclusive global distribution partner for
the AXP cord blood product except for Central and South
America, China and Russia/CIS, where ThermoGenesis markets
through independent distributors. The MXP is used for
isolating stem cells from bone marrow.
• The CryoSea FS system, an automated device and
companion sterile blood processing disposable, is used to
prepare fibrin sealants from plasma in about an hour. The
CryoSeal FS system is approved in the U.S. for liver resection
surgeries. The CryoSeal FS system has received the CE
mark. Asahi Medical is the exclusive distributor for the
CryoSeal.
(This story originally appeared in the Aug. 10, 2009, edition
of Medical Device Daily)
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