Ethicon Endo-Surgery Introduces ENDOPATH® XCEL™ With OPTIVIEW® Technology, Only 5mm Trocar Designed to Mitigate Smudging of Endoscope During Reinsertion

CINCINNATI, June 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Ethicon Endo-Surgery (EES) today announced the launch of a new 5mm ENDOPATH® XCEL™ trocar enhanced with OPTIVIEW® Technology, the only trocar designed to mitigate smudging of the endoscope or laparoscope during surgical procedures. Developed in collaboration with surgeons worldwide, this innovative technology addresses the challenge of keeping the endoscope lens clean when re-inserted into the trocar during minimally invasive bariatric, colorectal, gynecologic, urologic or general surgical procedures.

"This is the trocar I've been waiting for," said Ted Goldman, M.D., FACOG and practicing obstetrician/gynecologist in Huntington, New York. "It provides improved safety and reduces the constant need to clean and reinsert the laparoscope, which disrupts the flow of the procedure."

During a procedure, bodily fluids and debris can smudge the endoscope lens, requiring periodic removal of the scope for cleaning. As the instrument is removed for cleaning, bodily fluids and debris from the camera shaft often remain trapped within the trocar's seal system. Upon reinsertion of the scope, trapped fluids and debris in the trocar seals can be reapplied to the lens, impairing the surgical view. This can cause interruptions in the procedure, as the instrument may need to be removed for cleaning and reinserted several times.

The new addition to the leading brand of trocars on the market, the 5mm ENDOPATH® XCEL™ with OPTIVIEW® Technology reduces the need to re-clean the endoscope when it is reinserted into the trocar after cleaning, resulting in fewer interruptions* that may lead to maintained procedural flow.

EES' OPTIVIEW® Technology cleans bodily fluid off the endoscope, wicks it away and absorbs it – thus minimizing the presence of bodily fluid, tissue and debris within the seal system and on the scope lens when reinserted through the trocar. When compared to most popular competitive 5mm trocars, ENDOPATH® XCEL™ with OPTIVIEW® Technology was shown to be the most effective at reducing smudging during endoscope reinsertion.**

ENDOPATH® XCEL™ with OPTIVIEW® Technology will be featured at EES' booth (#406) at the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) 28th Annual Meeting in Orlando, June 12-17, 2011.

"Smudging is an issue that many of today's surgeons deal with, as repeated cleaning continues to be a necessity in restoring the surgical field of vision, especially in complex and more lengthy minimally invasive procedures such as bariatric, colorectal and gynecologic surgery," said Tom O'Brien, director of Global Marketing for Minimally Invasive Procedures/Endomechanical, EES. "ENDOPATH® XCEL™ with OPTIVIEW® Technology addresses this challenge, enabling surgeons to focus even more on the surgical experience and the patient and less on the tools they are using."

ENDOPATH® XCEL™ trocars are used in more procedures than all other brands of single-use trocars combined. The new 5mm ENDOPATH® XCEL™ with OPTIVIEW® Technology provides the same performance and benefits of the ENDOPATH® XCEL™ family of trocars – stays in the body wall (retention), maintains pneumoperitoneum, has low seal system drag force, facilitates single-handed instrument exchanges and enables further instrument reach.

For more information and to view videos explaining how OPTIVIEW® Technology was developed and how it works, please visit: www.ethiconendosurgery.com/xceloptiview.

* Based on benchtop testing.

** Compared to: Applied Medical COQ04, CTR03, CFF03, CTF03, CFI13, CFR03; Covidien NB5STF, VS101005; Taut 40510. Data on file.

About Ethicon Endo-Surgery

Ethicon Endo-Surgery develops and markets advanced medical devices for minimally invasive and open surgical procedures, focusing on procedure-enabling devices for the interventional diagnosis and treatment of conditions in general and bariatric surgery, as well as gastrointestinal health, gynecology and surgical oncology. More information can be found at www.ethiconendosurgery.com.

SOURCE Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (EES)