Author: Antonio Berlen

joimax® Launches Numerous Innovations at EuroSpine Milan From 19 To 21 October 2011

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Karlsruhe/Milan, October 17th, 2011. In its anniversary year joimax® presents numerous innovations – at EuroSpine Milan for the first time, opening up the series of the big autumn congresses and exhibitions.

For the first time joimax® presents the now complete product range for endoscopic spinal surgery, showing the novel pain therapy product “Multiuse”. The new Multiuse-Set comprises instruments for endoscopic facet joint denervation or so-called rhizotomy. Subsequent to the iLESSYS® system for 360° decompression launched in spring 2011, it completes the joimax® product range that was kicked off with TESSYS® years ago. Further special blades for the successfully launched Shrill® shaver-drill resection and ablation system will be introduced to the market also.

At EuroSpine joimax® will display its complete endoscopic system of the 3rd generation with Vitegra®3 for the first time. This is the most recent generation of fully integrated documentation systems. With D-Camsource® HD LED, the first fully integrated HD camera technology with LED light source will be introduced. The joimax® proprietary radio frequency system Endovapor® will be presented to the public with new bi-polar probes.

This rapid-fire launching of a variety of new products proves again the leading position of joimax® in the field of endoscopic spinal surgery. To accompany this, joimax® offers a lunch workshop on October 20th, 2011. Congress attendees can register directly at the joimax® booth. Members of the international joimax® faculty team will present their experiences when applying the joimax® instruments, devices and surgery methods.

Further important events right after EuroSpine on the joimax® agenda are the SMISS in Las Vegas, USA, the NASS in Chicago with a big workshop to be held at the renowned Chicago Back Institute, the MEDICA in Duesseldorf, Germany, the Rome Spine Conference in Italy and finally the DWG annual congress in Hamburg early December, with another lunch symposium and an evening reception celebrating the 10th anniversary of the company.

joimax® inspires Thai-German Neurosurgery Congress participants for TESSYS®

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Karlsruhe, 6th of October 2011. joimax® opened doors for the Thai-German Neurosurgery congress participants, under the patronage of the German Academy for Neurosurgery (GANS) and the presidency of the Director of the Clinic for Neurosurgery at the “Städtisches Klinikum” in Karlsruhe, Prof. Dr. med. Dr. h.c. Uwe Spetzger – this year taking place in Karlsruhe, South Germany.

joimax® organised a lunch symposium in line with the congress, beginning with a company conducted tour through the facility where the participants visited amongst others the departments of the technical staff, research, development and construction – the core competencies and heart of the company. Also interesting were the explanations of the company founder and managing director Wolfgang Ries speaking about the exhibits in the so called internal “museum”, documenting the development of the 10 years company history,
showing prototypes of instruments, endoscopes and devices from the founding years.

The application of TESSYS® was presented by Prof. Dr. med. Ju?rgen Kiwit, Chief Physician of the Helios Hospital for Neurosurgery in Berlin Buch, in his demonstrative lecture with many pictures and videos. “In my opinion the minimally invasive TESSYS® method is the future of spine surgery, especially when treating herniated discs and stenosis. The advantages of this gentle method are more than obvious,” he stated.

The full potential of the endoscopic spinal surgery was impressively shown by Wolfgang Ries in his overview presentation: with special instruments it is also suitable for treating e.g. spinal canal stenosis and so makes – besides the transforaminal – the interlaminar access possible also, so that the spinal canal is now accessible from all sides, meaning 360°. The instruments of the next generation with flexible forceps, reamers and endoscopes are already very advanced in the joimax® development pipeline. An endoscopic assisted spine stabilisation system will open further wide ranges of applications.

A concluding hands-on with the latest joimax® endoscopic devices on models fully convinced the 45 Thai-German guests of the company’s innovative performance.

User Meeting Heidelberg

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joimax® sets the second highlight in its anniversary year: The TESSYS®/iLESSYS® User Meeting in Heidelberg

Karlsruhe/Heidelberg, 20 June 2011. After the success of the User Meeting in scope of the AANS Annual Scientific Meeting in Denver, Colorado in April, joimax® invited customers and users of their systems to attend the User Meeting in Heidelberg.

The meeting provided an ideal discussion forum for the TESSYS® users, orthopedic and neurosurgeons with scientific lectures, experience reports and an extensive practical session at the Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology of the Heidelberg University. joimax® placed the focus on their new products with the shaver/drill system SHRILL® and the iLESSYS® instrument kits, that represent the consistent further development of the well-known and proven joimax® platform for endoscopic spine surgery. Dr. med. Carl Hans Fu?rstenberg, Senior Consultant and Deputy Head of Spinal Cord Injury and Head of Operative Spinal Cord Injury Department of Orthopaedics, Trauma Surgery and Spinal Cord Injury at the University Hospital Heidelberg, was impressed with the, now comprehensive, access technique: „The circle has been literally closed now. With TESSYS® and iLESSYS® we have the 360 degrees access to the spinal canal.“ „With the complement of iLESSYS® for interlaminar access, the complete range of endoscopic access techniques to the spinal canal is now available, providing us a lot more options to help patients efficiently and fast “, stated University Lecturer Dr. Sandro Eustacchio from the Neurosurgery Department of the University Hospital in Graz, Austria, who has been practicing the interlaminar access method for quite a while and demonstrated it to the audience.

Another core theme was the application of the shaver/drill system SHRILL®, impressively presented by Dr. med. Guntram Krzok, Friedrichroda, who cannot imagine specifically stenosis therapy without this „fantastic instrument“ any more, as he stated. According to his experience, this instrument perfectly completes the indication array of endoscopic spinal surgery.

All participants praised the format of the meeting with being the right mix of theory and practice as well as the ideal forum for an extensive exchange of experiences between the experts. During the relevant congresses and exhibitions of the second half of 2011, joimax® will present and launch further product novelties starting at EuroSpine in Milan, Italy, and SMISS in Las Vegas in October, NASS in Chicago in November and later at the 6th German Spine Congress to be held in Hamburg in December 2011.

joimax® for the first time awards the Parviz Kambin prize in cooperation with SMISS in the frame of the first US TESSYS® User Meeting in Denver, Colorado.

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[29.04.2011] – Karlsruhe/Denver, Colorado, April 2011. After a very successful advanced cadaver workshop on Saturday, April 9, 2011, joimax® held its first US TESSYS® User Meeting on Sunday, April 10th in Denver, Colorado, the site of the Scientific Annual Meeting for AANS, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.

In cooperation with SMISS, Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, joimax®, for the first time, presented the Parviz Kambin award to Dr. Parviz Kambin. Dr. Kambin is one of the most important pioneers who paved the way for the minimally invasive endoscopic spine surgery industry. The award was founded to honor outstanding surgeons in the field of endoscopic spine surgery. Dr. Parviz Kambin identified the unique safe access point to the spinal canal now known as the ‘Kambin triangle.’ Additionally, two experienced spinal surgeons, Dr. Michael Schubert, Munich, Germany and Dr. Menno Iprenburg, Veenhuizen, the Netherlands, were honored with the Parviz Kambin Award, each having performed more than 1.000 procedures of this kind, trained hundreds of doctors using the TESSYS® technique and each publishing scientific presentations held at renowned international congresses.

Dr. Choll Kim, Executive Director of SMISS and Associate Clinical Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of California – San Diego, “We, at SMISS, consider endoscopy of the spine to be a progressive technique with huge potential for the future of minimally invasive spine surgery. Aside from their operative work, we recognize the accomplishments of the recipients, who are large contributors to the advancement of the TESSYS® procedure on a global level.”

Besides the highlight of the award presentation ceremony, the User Meeting offered a robust program of scientific presentations, reports and discussions with internationally renowned spine specialists in the field of orthopaedic and neuro surgery. Additionally, joimax® started its celebrating event program 2011: 5 years joimax® Inc. in the USA and 10 years joimax® GmbH in Germany.

joimax® – the 1st US TESSYS® User Meeting in Denver, Colorado, USA heralds 10-year anniversary celebrations

Posted on by Antonio Berlen

At the same time joimax® Inc., the US subsidiary celebrates its fifth anniversary, exhibits at the AANS and for the first time awards the Parviz Kambin prize in the frame of the second international TESSYS®-User Meeting in Denver, USA.

 

 

Karlsruhe, April 6, 2011. joimax® GmbH holds the 2nd International TESSYS® User Meeting in Denver, USA on April 9th and 10th. At this event, the Karlsruhe based medical device
company starts the celebration activities on the occasion of its 10th anniversary in Germany and its 5th year of existence worldwide – a special occasion in combination with the AANS
Annual Scientific Meeting (American Association of Neurological Surgeons) from April 9th – 13th, 2011.

„We are particularly proud to announce the first ever Parviz Kambin Award“, says Wolfgang Ries, founder and CEO of joimax® GmbH. „With this award we value the neurosurgeon Dr.
Parviz Kambin’s research and work as an important pioneer in the field of minimally invasive spinal surgery. The TESSYS® procedure uses what is known as the Kambin-triangle as its
point of access to the spinal canal.“

The User Meeting offers an optimal platform for TESSYS® users, surgeons, scientists and sales partners to share their experience with the method, further technologies and case
studies as well as learn and test new products and techniques such as the iLESSYS® System, now being launched.

On April 9th, joimax® starts its celebrations with an advanced cadaver workshop which focuses on endoscopic spinal stenosis treatment with TESSYS® Stenosis, the Shrill® Shaver
Drill System and now iLESSYS® method as well. The iLESSYS® method enables the surgeon to fully endoscopically remove transforaminally difficult-to-reach herniated discs and also
stenoses via an interlaminar approach.

The joimax® founder Wolfgang Ries will also give an overview of the history of the company reflecting the past five and ten years of the company and will also provide an outlook on
future products and systems.

The scientific program of the event will include a variety of technical lectures, presentations and discussions on the TESSYS® method including reports on first experiences with the
Shrill® System and iLESSYS®.

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

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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® goes HD: HD Technology for superior safety in endoscopic spinal surgery

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Camsource®HD camera systems, HD endoscopes and HD flat screen monitors by joimax® at the 5th German Spine Congress (5. Deutscher Wirbelsäulenkongress) in Bremen, Germany

Karlsruhe, December 2010: The 5th German Spine Congress (5. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Wirbelsäulengesellschaft (DWG) will take place from 16 to 18 December 2010 at the Congress Centre in Bremen. joimax® is proud to present the innovative HD 5-in-1 complete system at their booth no.20: The C-Camsource®HD Twister offers state-of-the-art HD technology and works with both the joimax® HD endoscopes and HD flat screens producing an extremely precise and sharp picture and video imaging for endoscopic spinal surgery.

This is convincing technology for spinal surgery experts like Dr. Michael Schubert, Apex-Spine Center, Munich, Germany or Dr. Ralf Wagner, Frankfurt, Germany: „High resolution like this allows very precise working and provides the necessary safety required when operating – especially in the field of endoscopic spinal surgery.“ With this integrated combination of HD camera technique, HD endoscopes and HD flat screen monitors joimax® is the first manufacturer to offer a completely tuned and expandable HD system of highest imaging quality and picture resolution.

Both surgeons value the C-Camsource® HD Twister as a 5-in-1 system with its integrated xenon light source and picture rotation function; “There is optimal lighting at all times and with the Twister, image details can be zoomed in and rotated”, “and thanks to the imaging function and the diaphragm and mask function, optimal orientation in the operation area is possible.”
The HD 5-in-1 complete system has also a text generator in order to document each step of the surgery and it offers direct and simple data storage on a USB data carrier. “It was important for us to offer the surgeon a perfectly coordinated as well as a safe complete system“, says Wolfgang Ries, CEO and founder of joimax®, “for the best possible treatment of patients – without any compromises.”

Advantages of the C-Camsource® HD-Twister complete system and the joimax® HD endoscopes

– Best possible resolution due to High-Definition-Technology
– First-class brightness, brilliance of the pictures due to optimal co-ordination of the endoscope,
camera and screen as tuned system
– Unique image rotation, zoom and picture movement function
– As much system integration as sensible, possible and necessary
– Functions for intuitive orientation, marking and documentation

Advantages of the HD flat screen monitors by joimax®

– HD flat screen monitors in either 24“ or 42“ with an angle of
178 degrees for an exceptionally good view and safe operating
– Brilliant images in high resolution: 1.920 x 1.080 pixels
– Picture in picture function; size and position adjustable
– Touch Control Panel, multi-language menu navigation

joimax® successfully carries out 5th International Live Surgery Workshop in cooperation with APEX Spine Center

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joimax® hosts another international endoscopy workshop focussed on spine surgery supported by renowned spine specialists

Karlsruhe, 15 October 2010 – On 14 and 15 October the Klinikum Starnberg, Munich, as well as the anatomy of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Germany, were the site of a two-day joimax® workshop focussed on the endoscopic resection of herniated discs performed by the TESSYS® method. Highlight of this international workshop were two live surgeries observed by 21 participating orthopaedic surgeons as well as neurosurgeons in the adjacent conference room of the Starnberg Residence.

Dr. med. Michael Schubert of the Munich APEX SPINE Center operated on two patients, explained every single step of the surgery and answered the auditorium’s questions. Several workshop participants were able to watch the surgery directly in the operating room. The live surgeries were preceded by an intensive cadaver training in the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich. Participants came from Germany, Austria, Italy, England, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. Renowned faculties like Dr. Florian Maria Alfen, Dr. Guntram Krzok, Dr. Carl-Hans Fürstenberg, Dr. Wolfgang Kreil as well as Dr. Manuel Panne, anaesthesiologist in Munich, contributed to a successful event.

The Bayerische Rundfunk TV station was live onsite on 14 October and aired the report titled “Schnelle Hilfe dank Endoskopie” (“Fast relieve through endoscopy”) the very same evening at best broadcasting time.

„Shrill®“ – The new Shaver Drill System by joimax® for the treatment of spinal stenosis

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Karlsruhe, 14 September 2010: Just in time before the major international fall congresses joimax® launches the „Shrill®“, another technical highlight for the broader application of the TESSYS® spine surgery technique. This multifunctional drill and resection system removes both soft and solid structures effortlessly and safely and hence completes the TESSYS® method for stenotic patients.

The obvious advantages for the surgeon: Shrill® is easy to program, enables intuitional use and it can be operated with buttons on the hand piece or the foot switch. The different shaver blades allow for safe and reliable removal of bone, soft or scar tissue in immediate vicinity of nerves.
The integrated irrigation and suction control provides a clear view on the operation area at all times.

„With this instrument we are now able to successfully operate spinal stenoses fully endoscopically“, says Dr. Menno Iprenburg, one of the first users of the TESSYS® System. „Decompressions of nerve structures in various levels of the spine under endoscopical view are now possible in one surgical session“, states Dr. Ralf Wagner, being an expert in this new surgery technique.

The advantages for the patient are evident as with all other joimax instruments: safety even in sensitive areas, fast pain relieve and regaining quality of life due to the minimal invasive surgery method.

Last but not least the advantage for the health care system: The short recovery time of the patient reduces cost to the patient and health insurance!

joimax® moves into larger premises

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joimax® invests in the future and moves into new offices in the US and in Germany

Irvine, USA / Karlsruhe, Germany – 14. Juni 2010 – The medical devices company
joimax® GmbH is moving into new premises both in Germany and the US. „Growth requires space“ had already been the motto of the last company move back in 2005.
The US market has an enormous growth potential. This is why the subsidiary joimax® Inc. is moving from Campbell to Irvine, California, one of high-tech industry centers in the United States. To meet the growing requirements of the US market the joimax® headquarter in Karlsruhe, Germany is also moving into bigger offices. President and founder Wolfgang Ries states: “This step of expansion was necessary to comply with the growing requirements towards our organisation.” “The new premises are a perfect operational basis to be able to cover the growing demand for joimax technologies in the US“, explains Chip Stevens, CEO of joimax Inc.

The doubling of the operational areas is also a landmark decision with respect to the ongoing product launches of the company. joimax® is preparing the launch of the Shrill® in Europe which will shortly be followed by the US launch. This shaver and drill system for the ablation of bone and soft tissue under endoscopic view will be completed by a new pump system called Versicon® and an HD endoscopy system. Following the motto „joimax goes HD“ the so-called Camsource® HD Twister camera system, new HD flat screen monitors and HD endoscopes will be brought to market.