Archive for August, 2009

American Academy of Periodontology Annual Meeting

Join Havel’s Incorporated at the annual meeting for the American Academy of Periodontology in Boston this September 12th through 15th, 2009 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.  Havel’s Inc. will be exhibiting at Booth 1234 in Exhibit Hall A.  Exhibit hours are:

Sunday, Sept. 13th – 10 to 6

Monday, Sept. 14th – 10 to 6

Tuesday, Sept. 15th – 10 to 3

Dr. Paul M. Ridher will speak at the Opening Ceremony at 5:15 PM on September 12th.  Dr. Ridher is the Eugene Braunwald Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and the Director of the Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.  He will discuss the relationship between periodontal disease and heart disease and the role of inflammation in periodontoloy and cardiology.

For more information on the annual meeting, click here.

American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine

 November 19th – 22nd 2009

Join over 1,000 attendees at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio River Walk for four days of innovative pain practice demonstrations and workshops by experts in the field. The 2009 General Session addresses Ultrasound vs. Flouroscopy for Chronic Pain. A Special Session Workshop is offered regarding Ultrasound in Pain Medicine.

To learn more about the 2009 ASRA Fall Meeting, click here.

To learn more about ASRA, click here.

Peripheral Nerve Block Needle Tip Localisation Under Ultrasound

The study compared the echogenicity of five insulated peripheral nerve block needles, including the EchoStim® Echogenic Needle, needles from several well-known competitiors, and a handmade experimental needle not available for commercial use.  The blind assessment of the five different needles in human fresh cadaveric tissue determined which needle had the best tip visibility under ultrasound. 

Of the available needles in the study, the Havel’s® EchoStim® Echogenic CCR marks appeared brightest under ultrasound at Moderate (35 – 45) and Steep (55 – 65) insertion angles.  Typically steep insertion angles cause most needles to disappear under ultrasound, as shown in the study by the 0% result for 2 of the 5 needles.  The steep insertion angle results for the EchoStim® were at least 6 times higher than the next highest commercially available needle.  The Moderate insertion angle results did show improved percentages for the other needles, but Havel’s® EchoStim® needle was still the best available needle as its percentage was nearly double that of the closest competitor.  The next best needle was the handmade experimental needle that is not commercially available.

The Havel’s® EchoStim® Echogenic needle is manufactured in Japan by Hakko® Medical.  Havel’s® Incorporated is proud to be the exclusive North American distributor of Hakko® Medical needle devices.  Hakko® needles are the benchmark for quality throughout the world with a safety record second to none.

The Sprotte Needle

Approximately 5,000 eye surgeries are performed annually at the Spokane Eye Center in Spokane, Washington. Of those surgeries, 3,000 to 4,000 require retrobulbar blocks for anesthesia. Dan Simonson, CRNA, performs a high volume of retrobulbar blocks, which he prefers to the use of topical anesthesia.

The risk of puncture is eliminated with topical eye anesthesia, but other risks arise. “Centers that do a high volume of cataract surgical procedures get good at topical anesthesia,” Simonson says. “But the additional risks of topical anesthesia are that the patient will not be able to tolerate the procedure and the procedure will have to be aborted. Additionally, there may be an unforeseen complication during the procedure, such as a dropped lens nucleus or choroidal hemorrhage. Complications like this would become more difficult to control with an unanesthetized eye.”

The standard needle used in retrobulbar procedures is a disposable 25 to 27 gauge, 1 to 11/2” needle. The risks of using such a needle in retrobulbar blocks include tearing tissue of the eye and perforating the globe. The Sprotte needle, which Simonson uses in every retrobulbar block he performs, greatly reduces that risk. “The Sprotte needle, because of its design, travels through the tissues of the orbit without cutting them. Additionally, it is very difficult to penetrate the sclera with the needle, even at the 25 gauge size,” Simonson says.

Havel's Partners with Canadian Hospital Specialties

Havel’s partners with Canadian Hospital Specialties, to release EchoStim® and EchoBlock® Ultrasound needles in Canada

Havel’s Incorporated has partnered with CHS, Canadian Hospital Specialties, which will become the exclusive distributor of Havel’s EchoStim® and EchoBlock® Ultrasound Needles throughout Canada.

Canadian Hospital Specialties Ltd. is a leading supplier of regional anesthesia products to healthcare facilities and clinics across Canada. Its Med-Rx® brand is well recognized as being an innovative family of products, focused on quality and value. Scott Lees, Vice President, Sales and Marketing for Canadian Hospital Specialties shares Havel’s excitement about the expansion. “The EchoStim® and EchoBlock® Needles provide best in class technology to our customers in the rapidly expanding ultrasound guided regional anesthesia market. We are thrilled to be the exclusive representative of these products here in Canada,” says Lees.

The EchoStim® and EchoBlock® needles offer ground-breaking technology for ultrasound guided regional anesthesia. Both feature patented corner cube reflectors (CCR™) providing multiple angled surfaces near the tip for maximum reflection even at steep injection angles. Equipped with a standard plug that fits most nerve stimulators, the EchoStim® Echogenic Insulated Needle can be used with or without ultrasound guidance. The EchoBlock® Echogenic Non-Insulated Needle has fixed injection tubing, and is used under ultrasound guidance by those no longer using nerve stimulators. The EchoStim Collection of needles provides healthcare workers with a more visible needle tip, making procedures safer for patients and easier for practitioners.