Konica Minolta Healthcare and Medovate Partner to Further Advance Safety in Regional Anesthesia

WAYNE, N.J., Jan. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Konica Minolta Healthcare Americas, Inc. today announced an agreement with Medovate Ltd. to jointly promote Medovate’s SAFIRA™ regional anesthesia injection solution with Konica Minolta’s range of solutions for ultrasound-guided procedures in the USA. SAFIRA (Safer Injection for Regional Anesthesia) is a new medical device designed to limit injection pressure and automatically stop injection at high pressures, helping to reduce the risk of nerve injury and improving patient safety. This initiative is the latest addition to Konica Minolta’s UGPro^® Solution, which brings together education, procedures and imaging equipment, such as the SONIMAGE^® HS2 Compact Ultrasound System, to further expand the use of regional anesthesia and enhance patient safety.

Regional anesthesia has demonstrated better post-operative analgesia, decreased opioid consumption and length of stay, early rehabilitation, fewer anesthesia-related side effects and high patient satisfaction compared to general anesthesia^1,2. A joint statement from the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA) and the European Society of Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Therapy (ESRA) recommend regional anesthesia over general anesthesia for COVID-19 patients where possible to reduce transmission of the virus.

“Regional anesthesia delivers numerous benefits for patients, physicians and hospitals, propelling its growth as an important alternative to general anesthesia,” says Eric Sumner, Executive Vice President Ultrasound Sales at Konica Minolta. “Medovate brings a unique combination of clinical innovation and expertise through its association with the United Kingdom’s National Health Service and we are proud to partner with them in this endeavor. Both Konica Minolta and Medovate are committed to promoting safer regional anesthesia with solutions that deliver clinical efficiency, simplify use and advance better outcomes for patients.”

The SONIMAGE HS2 System facilitates ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia procedures with an advanced algorithm, Simple Needle Visualization (SNV^®), that improves needle visibility and increases accuracy in needle placement, both for in-plane and out-of-plane approaches. SNV also adjusts the sensitivity of needle visualization depending on the type of tissue.

“Delivering best practices in regional anesthesia by creating value through innovation is a common vision uniting Medovate and Konica Minolta,” says Chris Rogers, Sales and Marketing Director at Medovate. “As a leading ultrasound manufacturer, Konica Minolta is focused on helping physicians make informed decisions at the point-of-care to enhance patient safety, satisfaction and their clinical experience. We are honored to partner with them to advance the importance and safety of ultrasound guided techniques for regional anesthesia.”

In addition to helping limit injectate pressure, SAFIRA also transforms regional anesthesia into a one-physician procedure by allowing a single anesthesiologist to conduct the entire procedure. Previously, an assistant was required to inject the anesthetic solution at the required pressure while the anesthesiologist inserted the needle tip using ultrasound guidance. With SAFIRA, hospitals can reduce costs associated with staffing an additional assistant for these procedures as well as potentially reduce the time per procedure by up to five minutes³.

1. Cozowicz C, Poeran J, Zubizarreta N, et al. Trends in the Use of Regional Anesthesia: Neuraxial and Peripheral Nerve Blocks. Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine 2016;41:43-49.
2. Albrecht, E. and Chin, K.J. Advances in regional anaesthesia and acute pain management: a narrative review. Anaesthesia, 2020; 75: e101-e110.
3. Fong-Soe-Khioe R. Health Economic report Medovate commissioned written by a health economist from the University of East Anglia (UEA).

About Konica Minolta Healthcare Americas, Inc.
Konica Minolta Healthcare is a world-class provider and market leader in medical diagnostic imaging and healthcare information technology. With over 75 years of endless innovation, Konica Minolta is globally recognized as a leader providing cutting-edge technologies and comprehensive support aimed at providing real solutions to meet customer’s needs and helping make better decisions sooner. Konica Minolta Healthcare Americas, Inc., headquartered in Wayne, NJ, is a unit of Konica Minolta, Inc. (TSE:4902). For more information on Konica Minolta Healthcare Americas, Inc., please visit www.konicaminolta.com/medicalusa.

About Medovate:www.medovate.co.uk

Medovate is a medical device company dedicated to the development and commercialisation of innovative medical technologies created within the NHS and beyond. Medovate identifies and works with high potential medtech innovations, providing the specialist management and technical resources, along with finance required to lead innovation development through clinical trials and regulatory approval. By providing funding and support at a crucial point in the development of innovative medical technologies, Medovate accelerates innovations to market in order to benefit patient care and healthcare delivery. The company has a strong portfolio relating to specialisms in anaesthesia, airway management, critical care and surgery. Medovate directly benefits the NHS by:

• Providing access to funding, support and expertise to enable innovations created within the NHS to reach the market
• Delivering commercial returns to the NHS organisations and inventors that created the technologies

Contact:
Mary Beth Massat
Massat Media
224.578.2388
www.konicaminolta.com/medicalusa

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Konica Minolta Healthcare SONIMAGE HS2

Simple Needle Visualization (SNV®) improves needle visibility and increases accuracy in needle placement, both for in-plane and out-of-plane approaches. SNV also adjusts the sensitivity of needle visualization depending on the type of tissue.

Medovate SAFIRA

SAFIRA (Safer Injection for Regional Anesthesia) is a new medical device designed to limit injection pressure and automatically stop injection at high pressures, helping to reduce the risk of nerve injury and improving patient safety.