Supplier Stories for the Week of June 23

Here’s what was new in the world of medical device suppliers during the week of June 23.

S.S. White Technologies reports that a custom S.S. White flexible shaft is being used to drive a new Medtronic device for Endovascular Aneurysm Repair (EVAR). The shaft is central to the Heli-FX EndoAnchor System and maneuvers and installs a staple to secure endografts in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) and Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm (TAA) cases, the company reported in a news release.

“S.S. White is an industry leader in understanding the customer requirement, and then translating that into the actual construction of the shaft,” stated Mohan Krishnan, PhD, senior engineering director, supply management, at Medtronic Cardiac and Vascular Group, in the release. The Heli-FX EndoAnchor System shaft design includes laser-welded fittings for a reduced diameter.

Flexible shafts transmit rotary motion much like a solid shaft, but can be curved over, under, and around areas in ways a solid shaft cannot, S.S. White explained. This ability enables the minimally invasive Medtronic applicator system to position the proximal and distal ends of an implant (an anchor) within a blood vessel and to deploy the spiral anchor into the vascular wall, it was reported.

In addition to such anchoring, S.S. White shafts have been provided for handheld screw drivers, heart valve repair, laparoscopic and endoscopic surgical equipment, and robotic assisted surgery technology such as the Da Vinci surgical system, the company added.