Invuity Highlights its Breiten Illuminated Retractor System at NASS

Let there be light.

Invuity, a developer of visualization devices for minimally invasive and minimal access surgeries, introduced the Breiten Illuminated Retractor System at the annual meeting of the North American Spine Society (NASS). Breiten combines retraction devices with the company’s Eigr illumination technology that projects thermally cool, brilliant, white light uniformly throughout the surgical cavity.

Breiten is designed for anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), anterior cervical corpectomy and other spinal procedures where visualization may be challenging.

“Traditional lighting sources are inadequate when operating through the smaller incisions used in the anterior approach to cervical discectomy, fusion and corpectomy,” said Richard D. Guyer, M.D., past president of the NASS and chairman of the Texas Back Institute Research Foundation. “Invuity’s Eigr Illumination Technology allows me to optimize my illumination for the individual patient and procedure, ensuring I have appropriate visualization of the surgical target and, therefore, the best outcomes for my patients.”

Better visualization has proven to increase surgical efficiency, reduce operating room time and lessen surgeon fatigue by eliminating or reducing dependence on a headlight, according to statistics cited by the company. The thermally cool on-field and in-situ illumination provided by Eigr illumination technology also provides a safer surgical environment by virtually eliminating the thermal hazards associated with traditional fiber-optic lighting, according to Invuity officials.

“With the spine market continuing to grow significantly, we are committed to providing a portfolio of devices that help meet surgeons’ needs for improved visibility, thereby helping to enable a variety of less invasive procedures to be performed,” said Phillip Sawyer, Invuity’s CEO.

According to the company, Breiten’s low-profile design enables surgeons to work efficiently in deep, dark cavities through smaller incisions, without dependence on a headlight. The color-coded system is available in multiple blade configurations for varying patient anatomies and surgeon preferences and is radiolucent for maximum visibility during fluoroscopy. The Breiten illuminated retractor system is an all-inclusive set optimally designed for cervical and lumbar spine surgeries and enables unsurpassed visualization of the disc space.

Invuity develops advanced medical devices for a variety of surgical specialties including spine, orthopedics, breast and thyroid oncology and plastic surgery. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, Calif.