Autor: Antonio Berlen

Virtual Global Symposium on Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery Highlights Livestream Training Benefits

Veröffentlicht am von Antonio Berlen

Karlsruhe, Germany — The Global Symposium of the ESPINEA® Academy in Karlsruhe, sponsored by joimax®, showcased how modern, advanced training for surgeons works. Earlier this month, over four days, more than 300 participants from around the world learned about the latest endoscopic surgical methods for spinal diseases. Via live demonstrations, twelve world-renowned spinal surgeons presented case studies, gave tips and tricks, and allowed people to look over their shoulders at endoscopic videos while operating on cadavers. The livestream made it possible for participating surgeons to understand exactly how endoscopic operations are carried out.

“You can only get closer if you do it yourself,” said one participant.

Endoscopic spinal surgery is developing into the gold standard for back problems that need surgery,” said Wolfgang Ries, the academy’s founder and chairman. “A large number of studies show it is superior to conventional methods of open spine surgery. Unfortunately, this technique is still not taught in most training centers around the world”.

ESPINEA® fills this gap with an extensive training program. Webinar formats are unavoidable in the Coronavirus period. With today’s livestream technologies, ESPINEA® was able to provide real-time, interactive surgical training, zooming in on how its surgical instruments can be used successfully.

“The participants’ enthusiasm is confirmation that we need to further develop online trainings,” said Ries. “While virtual events cannot replace face-to-face instruction — after all, it’s learning by doing — they provide an excellent alternative”.

ESPINEA® Academy was founded by joimax® in February 2019. A month later, joimax® CEO and Founder Wolfgang Ries held its first faculty and user meeting at the Paracelsus Medical University in Salzburg. Since then, ESPINEA® has been accredited by the oldest surgical college in the world, the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh. Participants at events such as the Global Symposium can earn medical training credits for Continuing Professional Development (CPD points). Points can be applied to medical license renewals.

Underscoring the importance of virtual learning, three ESPINEA® board members chaired the symposium: Menno Iprenburg from Iprenburg Spine Clinic in Veenhuizen, Netherlands; Sang-Ho Lee, president of Wooridul Spine Hospital, Korea; and J. N. Alistair Gibson, Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh. The participants concluded, “It was worth taking part just to hear these luminaries in person. But the best part was the opportunity to see the operation as if you were performing it yourself.”

Contact:
joimax® GmbH 
Nicole Read
info@espinea.org

FDA Clearance for joimax® Vaporflex® and Legato® electrosurgical probes

Veröffentlicht am von Antonio Berlen

Irvine, CA and Karlsruhe, Germany – November 9th, 2016 – joimax®, the global acting German developer and marketer of technologies and training methods for endoscopic minimally-invasive spinal surgery, today announced 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its Vaporflex® and Legato® electrosurgical probes with radiowave technology for open and endoscopic spine surgery.

Those joimax® Electrosurgical Instruments are comprised of a series of instruments to facilitate the delivery of electrical energy from an RF generator to the patient tissue for use in cutting and/or coagulation of tissue. All Vaporflex® and Legato® probes use radio frequency which is generated by high oscillating electrical current received from a commercially available RF generator.

The new Vaporflex® system is optimized for versatile use due to different lengths, diameters and probe tips to allow endoscopic transforaminal and interlaminar procedures. It is both compatible and cleared also for the use with all Endovapor®/SurgiMax® and SurgiMax® Plus electrosurgical units and enables an easy swap of the Triggerflex® to the new Vaporflex® system. The bipolar Vaporflex® probes can easily be adopted to the complete range of joimax® systems. joimax® offers all its probes in a kit containing a sterilization tray, the hand piece as well as a shaft and a connection cable.

Vaporflex Illustrations joimax®

The monopolar and bipolar Legato® probes which support the rhizotomy procedures with the existing Multiuse and both newly launched products MultiZYTE® RT for Facet Joint Denervation and MultiZYTE® SI for SI Joint Therapy.

“Both the Vaporflex® and Legato® probes are ready for several generations of radiofrequency generators” says Wolfgang Ries, CEO and founder of joimax®. “Spinal surgeons are now enabled to perform the range of joimax® procedures with even more flexibility and ergonomics in the USA as well. This way we further enhance surgical interventions in endoscopic minimally-invasive spinal surgery” he continues.

joimax® goes BRIC and beyond

Veröffentlicht am von Antonio Berlen

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Right on time with the soon expected registrations of the joimax® products in Brazil – one of the most emerging BRIC economies – the German-based company showed a very successful presence at the third World Congress of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery and Techniques (WCMISST) in Salvador de Bahia. The congress was supported by the main International MISS Societies. Almost 2.000 interested participants attended the congress which focused especially on promoting and enhancing the interventional minimally invasive treatment of spine diseases. joimax® is very proud of being part of this exciting development.

The eight largest emerging and developing economies by either nominal GDP or PPP are the BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India and China) as well as Mexico, Turkey, Indonesia, and South Korea. joimax® is represented in more than 60% of these countries – namely China, Russia, India, South Korea, and Turkey – and observes a fast growing number of registered products in these areas. In Brazil and Mexico submissions with the Health Authorities were started several months ago. The completion is expected in the near future. Then nearly 90% of the growth-leading economies will be covered.

joimax® provides the complete range of high-quality medical devices for minimally invasive endoscopic spine surgery “Made in Germany”. As a matter of course these devices are CE-marked and FDA-cleared and are sold throughout the European Union and the United States. The specific surgery methods they are used for, were developed by joimax® together with international experts and opinion leaders for the benefit of the patients:

Less pain, less trauma, less hospitalization, gain back quality of life and be back to work in shorter time!

The advantages are evident. Therefore joimax® has established a worldwide net of distribution partners allowing that as many patients as possible can get access to these progressive therapy methods.

Other important countries where joimax® is already present are: South Africa, Israel and Australia. One of the company’s goals within the next few years is to achieve the approval for its devices with the Japanese Ministry of Health.

Emerging and growth-leading economies are the key markets that are expected to lead global growth in the next 10 years. “joimax® is most pleased with its growing market penetration also in these countries, hence promoting these gentle, patient-friendly and economically beneficial surgery methods for the sake of the patients and of the health insurance systems at the same time”, states Wolfgang Ries, CEO and Founder of joimax®.

joimax® Showcases New Electromagnetic Navigation System Intracs® em at Global Spine Congress (GSC), Toronto and at German Society of Neurosurgery (DGNC), Wurzburg Clinical Trials Start in Europe and Asia

Veröffentlicht am von Antonio Berlen

IRVINE, CA – May 13, 2019 – joimax®,, the Germany-based market leader of technologies and training methods for full-endoscopic, minimally-invasive spinal surgery, is showcasing its Integrated Navigation Tracking & Control System, Intracs®em, at this year’s Global Spine Congress (GSC), which is currently being held in Toronto, Canada. The company is also promoting the system at the annual meeting of the German Society of Neurosurgery (DGNC), being held concurrently in Wurzburg, Germany.

The Intracs®em electromagnetic navigation system is simple to set up, very user-friendly, and seamlessly integrates into the joimax® endoscopic tower. It allows for navigation during any endoscopic procedure performed with the joimax® endoscopic surgical systems, TESSYS® (transforaminal) and iLESSYS® (interlaminar). Beyond that, it can serve as a stand-alone device.

The system relies on electromagnetic tracking, affording simultaneous navigation of multiple instruments such as needles, guiding rods, reamers and endoscopes. It was developed by joimax®  for easy planning of endoscopic approaches to the spine, as well as other minimally invasive procedures, like percutaneous fusions.

Various Intracs®em sensors guarantee the highest accuracy. Plus, for the patients’ benefit, the procedure can be carried out without further X-ray control – only starting X-rays are required. As a result, access, intervention time, and radiation exposure, are reduced to a minimum.

The system is CE-Marked. Currently, clinical trials and applications are running in Europe and Asia, where the product has already launched. In specific Asian countries, like Taiwan, the first systems have been sold and shipped.

Users are very impressed with the usability of the system. “I didn’t expect that navigation for both transforaminal and interlaminar procedures can be made so easy and that the set-up time can be so much streamlined,“ states Prof. Michael Kraus, spine specialist in Augsburg, Germany.  “And for the thoracic approach, it is so precise and a tremendous help,” continues Dr. Erik Traupe, spine specialist in Munich, Germany.

The launch of Intracs®em is a key milestone for joimax®. As part of its global strategy, joimax®  is providing surgeons, worldwide, with the devices they need for safe, easy and gentle spinal therapies, with US-FDA submission planned for Q2, 2019. “We are committed to overcoming any obstacles and concerns related to minimally invasive, endoscopic spine surgery,” states joimax® CEO and Founder Wolfgang Ries. “Our success lies with our innovative, user-friendly devices and instruments, and our ability to provide both doctor and patient with outstanding safety built into our systems.” Moreover, a well established and targeted clinical training program for the spinal surgical community, named CM3, rounds out the joimax® educational offering. Earlier this year, joimax® launched ESPINEA®, an Endoscopic Spine Academy focused on a complete endoscopic spine curriculum. Designed as a full training program to elevate surgeons to the next level of expertise, ESPINEA® offers professional and high-quality education for endoscopic spine treatment specialists, worldwide. The ESPINEA® Training and Education Centers are located in Karlsruhe, Germany in the newly opened joimax® building, and in Irvine, CA, where joimax® opened new labs and training rooms last November.

Parviz Kambin Award for three joimax® Faculty Members

Veröffentlicht am von Antonio Berlen

During a special joimax® faculty meeting which was held at the institute of anatomy at the University of Mainz, Germany on June 20-21, joimax® honored three surgeons with the Parviz Kambin Award. Dr. Albert Telfeian, Rhode Island Hospital, Brown University, RI, US and Dr. Gabriele Jasper, Center for Pain Control, NJ, US received the award in recognition of their outstanding scientific and educational dedication to transforaminal surgery. The two surgeons tremendously contributed to this field with numerous high quality publications. Also they are treading new paths for spinal endoscopy. Just recently Dr. Telfeian did the first awake surgery to remove a thoracic spinal tumor. Dr. Menno Iprenburg, Iprenburg Herniakliniek, NL received the award for his lifetime achievement. Dr. Iprenburg is applying joimax techniques, especially TESSYS, since 2004. In his private clinic, he successfully treated more than 2000 patients suffering from disc herniations.

The award is named after Dr. Parviz Kambin who identified a workspace within the intervertebral foramen, through which the spinal canal can be accessed safely. Because this safe zone is somewhat triangular shaped, it was named the „Kambin triangle“.

On the left: Award winner Dr. Menno Iprenburg (r.) with joimax® CEO Wolfgang Ries (l.) On the right: Award winners Dr. Albert Telfeian (r.) and Dr. Gabriele Jasper (l.) with Wolfgang Ries (m.)

joimax® conducts an international Live Spinal Surgery Workshop in cooperation with the Medical University of Graz, Austria

Veröffentlicht am von Antonio Berlen

Spine specialists take part at the joimax® endoscopy workshop with live spinal surgeries

Karlsruhe, 14 March 2011: On 17 and 18 March 2011, the Medical University as well as the Institute for Anatomy in Graz, Austria, were the sites of a two-day international joimax® Workshop focused on the endoscopic resection of herniated discs utilizing the TESSYS® method. The first day, Dr. Wolfgang Kreil and Univ. Doz. Dr. med. Sandro Eustacchio of the Medical University Graz will operate on two patients with herniated discs using the TESSYS® method. The participating orthopaedic surgeons and neurosurgeons from Germany, Austria, Greece, Bulgary, Italy and Macedonia will experience the surgery procedure firsthand. While operating on the patients, one of the operating surgeons will explain each step of the TESSYS® surgery and answer questions of the workshop attendees. Afterwards Dr. Wolfgang Kreil and Dr. Sandro Eustacchio will lead scientific presentations and panel discussions on how the transforaminal endoscopic technique works and what their experiences have been, while discussing several case examples.

On the second day, joimax® hosts an intensive cadaver training course at the Institute for Anatomy Graz. The practical training and hands-on learning experience gained at cadaver workshops such as this one is an important first step in the three-step joimax® CM3 Education Program. In this comprehensive program, experienced surgeons and application specialists train each workshop member to use the TESSYS® Method. The subsequent steps of the Education Program are visitations, followed by live surgeries accompanied by joimax® Medical Trainers and application specialists.

joimax® Updates ESPINEA® Training Facility

Veröffentlicht am von Antonio Berlen

KARLSRUHE, Germany – (BUSINESS WIRE) – The newly renovated and expanded Endoscopic Spinal Academy (ESPINEA®) facilities, sponsored by joimax®, makes exceptionally, high-quality training accessible in an innovative and appealing environment. Every day, the Academy offers educational and hands-on workshops to surgery teams, customers and partners.

Ries took on the newly created role of Executive Vice President, Business Development and Operations at joimax®. In this position, based in Germany, he will be responsible for scaling global operations to ensure joimax® continues its exponential growth. Formerly the General Manager, for the past six of his 13-year tenure with joimax®, Ries built out the United States and Latin American markets. 


“We are continuously developing and adapting our programs to meet customer demand”.


Courses and workshops at a pre-clinical and clinical levels

For almost five years, ESPINEA®, which is accredited by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, has stood for excellence in training in the field of endoscopic spinal surgery. After the recent inauguration of ESPINEA® China, joimax® has refurbished and enlarged the existing Karlsruhe training facilities into a modern, state-of-the art center to support their growing educational and training programs. The showroom demonstrates solutions from joimax®, the market leader in endoscopic spinal surgery technologies, enabling visitors to experience this mastery daily.

Organized in sections, by product line, practitioners can try out each clinical model, simulating an operative environment, and learn firsthand about the positive ergonomics and streamlined workflow of these offerings. All labs are equipped with integrated joimax® surgery systems, including the latest generation endoscopic tower, NAVENTO®. The surgery stations are digitally connected to imaging and to the joimax® Intracs® electromagnetic navigation system so that the endoscopic spinal surgery methods and applications can be reproduced during training. Moreover, the furnishings have been fully optimized so that the rooms can be easily adapted to new products and solutions.

“As a leading innovator in spinal surgery techniques, it’s important that ESPINEA® offers a pioneering center to further education and training,” said Wolfgang Ries, CEO and founder of joimax® and chairman and founder of ESPINEA®. “The dynamic, holistic and needs-oriented program sets new standards.”

The main focus is on endoscopic spinal care solutions for pain therapy, decompression, deherniation, and spinal stabilization. All hands-on sections have an open lab design, and bring the concept to life on how the products work together.

Setting standards in training of endoscopic spinal surgery

Professional knowledge and well-practiced skills are the building blocks for successful endoscopic spinal surgery.

“We are continuously developing and adapting our programs to meet customer demand,” said Susanne Schmidinger, senior director, global marketing and education. “We are convinced that our holistic and target-oriented education puts surgery teams in the position to optimally implement our available technologies and solutions for their patients.“

At the facility, an experienced, dedicated global team of certified faculty share their expertise and know-how. Every trainee is individually accompanied along the entire learning journey.

“It’s important that surgeons be able to directly and efficiently apply joimax® systems and methods in their daily work,” said Ries. “That’s why we developed the ESPINEA® 3-step education program of visitation, hands-on workshop, and simulated live surgery.”

The program is available at ESPINEA® USA, Asia, China, and Europe.

 

Newly awarded German Growth Champion joimax® presents new products at DWG Stuttgart, Germany, and broadens its education and congress activities

Veröffentlicht am von Antonio Berlen

IRVINE, CA – November 30, 2017 – joimax®, recently awarded as German Growth Champion 2018, continues to share its expertise in endoscopic minimally invasive spine surgery. With the latest workshops in Krasnodar, RUS, Guadalajara, Mexico and at the Wooridul Hospital in Korea, the company strengthens its outstanding education program. During the workshops, surgeons are trained in endoscopic techniques and other minimally-invasive procedures. Since the start of the cooperation with the Korean Wooridul group, the world’s largest specialized MISS – Endoscopic Spine Hospital Network, in 2017, a series of four courses, provided at different levels, have now been performed.

“Heavily increasing user interest and fast growing patient demand for endoscopic spinal surgery is leading to major needs, which joimax® is addressing by broadening its training program and presence at international congresses,” says Wolfgang Ries, Founder and CEO of joimax®.

joimax® presence at COA Congress 2017
joimax® presence at COA Congress 2017

Hence, joimax® again had an outstanding presence at the 12th International Congress of the Chinese Orthopedic Association (COA), which took place in Zhuhai, China, from Nov 15 – 18, 2017. In Vietnam, the first cervical surgery with the joimax® CESSYS® system was successfully performed by joimax® faculty Dr. Jun Seok Bae together with Dr. Dinh Ngoc Son, on Nov 22, 2017 at the Viet-Duc Hospital, the largest surgical center of Vietnam in Hanoi.

At the upcoming congress of the German Spine Society (DWG), taking place Nov 30 – Dec 02, 2017, in Stuttgart, Germany, joimax® will introduce its newest camera system called Camsource® LED combined with its latest Vitegra® Docu and Command Visual Integration System offering the highest resolution imaging with CMOS sensor technology. Additionally, the company will present its extended EndoLIF® portfolio with the new EndoLIF® Double-Wedge Cage, usable for TLIF- and ELIF-fusion techniques. joimax® will host two lunch symposia and hold “Meet-the-Expert” presentations at its booth.

At the same time, the company will have a booth with 2 workshop stations at the KOMISS (Korean Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Society) International Symposium and Hands-on Cadaver Workshop for Endoscopic Spine Surgery, taking place from Dec 1 – 3 in Incheon, Korea. The year ends with another excellent workshop at the IRCAD Institute in Taiwan on Dec 22- 23, 2017.

Veröffentlicht in Allgemein

joimax® and spine experts from across the world at COMINCO in São Paulo

Veröffentlicht am von Antonio Berlen

Karlsruhe – Spine experts from across the world met at the beginning of August at COMINCO (Brazilian Congress of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery) in São Paulo. This was the fifth time that COMINCO has taken place and it provided an opportunity for large numbers of experts to share information and ideas in the fields of neurosurgery and orthopedics.

Minimally invasive treatment methods and their successes from the patient’s perspective were the focus of the congress. The very latest surgical possibilities and techniques were presented in symposia, workshops, and numerous lectures to a very high scientific standard. joimax® GmbH trainer, Dr. med. Ralf Wagner from Frankfurt, Germany, notably introduced TESSYS® in his presentation “Endoscopy of the lumbar spine in degenerative diseases.” This technique provides transforaminal access to the lumbar spine for treatment of herniated discs and stenosis – an osseous narrowing of the spinal canal.

Cominco

joimax® revolutionizes spine surgery with the launch of newest and fully endoscopic product innovations to treat spinal canal stenosis

Veröffentlicht am von Antonio Berlen

Karlsruhe, June 2nd 2008: The joimax® company in Karlsruhe, Germany, is the first company in
the medical industry which developed a unique instrumentation for the treatment of spinal canal
stenosis. Having this degenerative disease at the spinal column, bony excrescences (osteophytes)
narrow the spinal canal and drastically limit the motoric and sensoric function of the affected
person. The so called 360° TESSYS™ Spinal Stenosis System, which has been realized
in cooperation with Dr. Rudolf Morgenstern, Barcelona, Spain (Centro Médico de Terapia de la
Columna), enables surgeons to completely remove this osseous/bony material under direct endoscopic
view through the vertebral foramen. Especially relating to elderly people in industrialised
countries, spinal canal stenosis is a frequent growing disease of the spine. So far, affected
patients are operated, if possible, with the open microsurgical method under full anaesthesia,
what however causes bigger tissue damage and may result in instability of the spinal column.
“With our new method the patient is under local anaesthetics and via a fingernail-like cut the
minimal access to the stenosis is enabled. Surrounding tissue is hardly damaged and thanks to
new endoscopic reamers and chisels allowing removal of osteophytes, so that treated patients
can leave the hospital already a few hours after the surgery” explains Dr. Rudolf Morgenstern.

A further product innovation revolutionizing spinal surgery is the so called iLESSYS™ – inter-
Laminar Endoscopic Surgical System. It enables the fully dorsal endoscopic access to the
lamina and to the spinal canal, which in a stenotic patient situation is heavily compressing all
structures. “With iLESSYS™ and together with the TESSYS™ Stenosis System a full 360° spinal
canal treatment offering is now made available for tissue, but if indicated, also for bony decompression
procedures,” summarizes Wolfgang Ries, founder and CEO of the joimax® GmbH.

Both new instrumentations are based on the TESSYS™ – Transforaminal Endoscopic Surgical
System, an operation technique and method which is used worldwide for the removal of lumbar
disc herniations. Surgeons are regularly offered the opportunity to familiarize themselves with
this sophisticated platform technology by using the instruments in hands-on sessions, and at the
same time exchange experiences with their peers. For example during the Spineweek, Geneva,
Switzerland, May 27th – 31st 2008, at which joimax had organized a lunch symposium and
showed good presence at the industrial exhibition. Further events with joimax®
are:

DGNC – 59th Annual Conference of the German Society for Neurosurgery, held June, 1st –
4th 2008 in Würzburg, Germany: joimax® is represented with a booth exhibition and is again organising a Lunch-Symposium for TESSYS™. Additionally at

The 1st WCMISST – World Congress of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery & Techniques,
June, 3rd –7th 2008 in Honolulu, Hawaii: Here joimax® offers Cadaver Workshops on June 3rd
and 4th, besides presenting its latest new products at the industrial exhibition.

Another next innovation of the joimax® product portfolio is the Video TWISTER, a unique electronic
device enabling a 360° video rotation continuously adjustable. Additionally a zoom in
magnification and an image centring function is made available.

Veröffentlicht in Allgemein