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EHOB, Inc Introduces New Foot WAFFLE® Custom and Foot WAFFLE® Heel Elevator Custom

  EHOB, Inc (Indianapolis, IN), released the Foot WAFFLE® Custom and Foot WAFFLE Heel Elevator Custom—the company’s newest lower-extremity products.

  The Foot WAFFLE Custom’s sloped design mirrors the natural shape of the leg as it angles from the calf down to the ankle, securely holding the leg and foot in place. Complete with new, air-filled straps, the product enables pressure ulcer prevention and patient comfort across the top of the leg and foot, while the foot strap and newly modified ankle section prevent shifting of the foot and assistance in the proper alignment of the lower extremity.

  Navigating down the product, the foot-end portion of the Foot WAFFLE Custom features an adjustable, air-filled “pillow pad” that comfortably floats a patient’s foot while also
assisting in the prevention of ankle contractures and the maintenance of normal ankle alignment for patients with foot drop. A Velcro strap located at the end of the product helps accommodate multiple foot widths and clinical applications, and can be adjusted to either float or protect the heel while the product’s wider
opening from the knee to the foot offers increased air circulation.

  The new Foot WAFFLE Custom is recommended for single-patient use, is available in sizes small, medium, and large, and is constructed with nonabrasive, latex-free, medical-grade vinyl.

  Visit www.ehob.com [4] for more information.

Apligraf® Improves Reimbursement for Patients

  Apligraf® (Organogenesis Inc, Canton, MA) has established improved coverage from multiple payors, improving access to care for millions of patients suffering from chronic, nonhealing wounds. This is the only cell-based product with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the treatment of both diabetic foot ulcers and venous leg ulcers.

  Apligraf is the first bioengineered living cell-based product to have received FDA approval for treatment of diabetic foot ulcers and venous leg ulcers. Clinical studies of the application were based on up to 5 treatments, comprising weekly assessments and/or applications, over a 12-week period.

  Visit www.organogenesis.com [5] for more information.

CE Mark Granted for Patent-based Wound Spray

  Based on a patent by Sangui Biotech International, Inc (Witten, Germany), the technology for a spray aimed at improving the healing of chronic wounds is now available after a certification as Class III medical product was granted. Global licensee SastoMed will be in charge of marketing and distribution of the Granulox product. The CE mark, according to sections 6 and 7 of the Medical Devices Act, authorizes production, distribution, and sales of the product in all member countries of the European Union.

  Visit www.sanguibiotech.com [6] for more information.

DM Systems Report on 2011 Sustainability Improvements at Evanston Headquarters

  DM Systems, Inc (Evanston, IL) released its Environmental Sustainability Report. Focusing on energy efficiency, transportation impacts, waste reduction, and employee engagement, the report demonstrated the difference even small steps can make.

  Working with corporate sustainability consultants Go2Green, the company quickly grasped their current environmental impact, and found areas for improvement. Office improvements for commuting cyclists earned them a bicycle-friendly business designation through the League of American Bicyclists, lighting upgrades reduced carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 5 tons, and simple changes to printing practices saved cartridges and money.

  Next steps include biodegradable packaging to save their hospital clients the cost of waste disposal.

  Visit www.dmsystems.com [7] for more information.

ConvaTec Donates $10,000 to AAWC Global Volunteers Program Through SAWC Walk for Wellness

  ConvaTec (Skillman, NJ) donated $10,000 to the Association for the Advancement of Wound Care (AAWC) Global Volunteers program through the SAWC Walk for Wellness that took place at the 25th Annual Symposium on Advanced Wound Care and Wound Healing Society Meeting (SAWC/WHS) in Atlanta, Georgia from April 19–22, 2012.

  The Walk for Wellness helped raise awareness of the AAWC Global Volunteers program and the need for ongoing education and training programs to promote access to proper wound treatment for the underserved in developing countries and North America.

  Conference participants were provided with pedometers that counted each step they took during the conference. They were encouraged to engage in some physical activity while connecting with other wound care professionals. At the end of each day, participants logged the number of steps they walked and could monitor their personal standing.

  Visit www.convatec.com [8] for more information.

NIH Awards Small Business Innovation Research Grant for Developing Antibacterial Wound Dressings

  Imbed Biosciences, Inc (Madison, WI), has been awarded a Phase 1 Small Business Innovation Research grant in the amount of $326,489 by the National Institute for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, a division of the National Institutes of Health. During the 12-month project titled, “Antibacterial molecular coatings pre-fabricated for biologic wound dressings,” the company will collaborate with Dr. Jonathan F. McAnulty, DVM, PhD, Professor and Chair of Surgical Sciences in the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

  Visit www.imbedbio.com [9] for more information.

More Than 2000 Clinicians Attended SAWC Spring/WHS

  Nearly 2200 clinicians attended the 25th annual Symposium on Advanced Wound Care Spring and Wound Healing Society (SAWC Spring/WHS) meeting in Atlanta, GA, from April 19–22, 2012.

  This year’s SAWC Spring/WHS included more than 100 educational sessions presented by nearly 150 world-renowned wound care experts. Attendees received additional education from pre- and post-conference sessions, such as The Basics of Wound Healing, Best Practices in Running a Successful Clinic, Comprehensive Hands-on Debridement Skills, Reimbursement Challenges in Wound Care Departments, and much more. In addition, WHS sessions included Pre-Clinical Models of Wound Healing and Molecular and Cellular Basis of Wound Infections. General and concurrent sessions kept attendees engaged until the very end.

  The Symposium on Advanced Wound Care Fall Meeting (SAWC Fall) will be held at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, MD on September 12–14, 2012. The SAWC Spring/WHS 2013 meeting is being held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, CO, May 2–5, 2013.

  Visit www.sawc.net [10] for more information.

KCI GraftJacket® Regenerative Tissue Matrix Reimbursed by Medicare in Eight Midwestern States

  Medicare beneficiaries living in 8 Midwestern states will now have access to the Kinetic Concepts, Inc (KCI [San Antonio, TX]) Graftjacket® regenerative tissue matrix (RTM) for the treatment of neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), one of the most debilitating complications from diabetes. Approximately 85% of all nontraumatic amputations are preceded by a nonhealing foot ulcer.

  The agreement affects Medicare beneficiaries in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. This agreement means approximately 7.5 million people now have access to a proven treatment option for DFUs.

  Graftjacket RTM is indicated for the repair or replacement of damaged or inadequate integumental tissue, such as diabetic ulcers, or for other homologous uses of human integument. Proprietary processing allows the body to accept Graftjacket RTM and reduces the potential for a rejection response. Graftjacket RTM provides immediate coverage to the wound, and is readily repopulated with the patient’s own cells and revascularized by the body. Ultimately, Graftjacket RTM acts as a scaffold that allows the body to convert the matrix to functional host tissue in ulcer repair.

  Visit www.kci1.com [11] for more information.