Convatec Introduces AQUACEL Foam Dressing

  ConvaTec (Charlotte, NC) introduced AQUACEL® foam dressing, the first dressing to combine a soft absorbent foam pad with the healing benefits of the company’s proprietary AQUACEL® interface for use in the management of wounds. The launch was presented at the 44th Annual Conference of the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses (WOCN) Society in Charlotte, NC.

  AQUACEL® foam dressing is specially designed to meet wound management challenges. It has a waterproof barrier that allows for the evaporation of excess moisture and protection against viral and bacterial penetration. The soft absorbent foam pad enhances patient comfort and absorbs excess fluid.

  The AQUACEL® dressing interface is engineered to gel on contact with wound exudate. This allows the dressing to micro-contour to the wound bed, minimizing dead space where bacteria can grow. The interface also maintains a moist wound environment that supports the body’s healing process, and prevents lateral spread of fluid to reduce the risk of maceration.

  Visit www.convatec.com for more information.

Spiracur Announces New SNaP Bridge Dressing for Plantar Surface Wound Care

  Spiracur Inc (Sunnyvale, CA) announced the introduction of the SNaP® Wound Care System’s Bridge Dressing for the plantar surface of the foot. The new dressing is designed to move pressure points off of the wound and deliver effective, continuous treatment. When partnered with an offloading device, such as a protective boot, it offers a complete solution to treat plantar surface diabetic foot ulcers, one of the most incapacitating complications resulting from diabetes.

  Visit http://spiracur.com for more information.

Osiris Receives Medicare Reimbursement Codes for Grafix®

  Osiris Therapeutics, Inc (Columbia, MD) announced today that it has received transitional pass‐through status from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), with C‐Codes being designated for Grafix®, Grafix is a three‐dimensional cellular matrix designed for application directly to acute and chronic wounds, including diabetic foot ulcers and burns.

  The product has also been assigned pass‐through status under Medicare's outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS), effective July 1, 2012. These codes will assist in facilitating reimbursement when Grafix products are used to treat Medicare patients with acute and chronic wounds in the hospital outpatient department and ambulatory surgical center settings.

  CMS also issued a preliminary positive decision for the assignment of permanent Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) Q‐codes for Grafix. If the decision is made permanent, it is anticipated that the Q‐codes would be available starting in January 2013. The assignment of unique Q‐codes will assist in facilitating reimbursement in the physician office setting, offering additional access for Medicare patients.

  Visit www.osiristx.com for more information.

Revolutionary Diabetic Ulcer Treatment Headed to Market

  MxBiodevices (Greenville, NC) biotech company has received a $30,000 Company Inception Loan from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center to aid in completing its business plan for it new treatment for diabetic foot ulcers (DFU).

  The technology behind the company is a synthetic nanofiber scaffold that is injected under the ulcer bed which provides a healing environment for the patient’s own cells to initiate tissue regeneration. In contrast, current wound care products are topical applications that do not treat the underlying tissue.