Boston Scientific Acquires and Launches New Suture Placement System

Natick, Mass.-based Boston Scientific Corp. has acquired the Fixate tissue band and is launching the product in the United States. The Fixate tissue band is designed to place sutures to secure spinal cord stimulator (SCS) leads or pain pump catheters. Boston Scientific introduced the device earlier this month at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pain Medicine in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The product was purchased from Anulex Technologies Inc., a Minneapolis, Minn.-based maker of soft tissue repair devices.

Spinal cord stimulators, which are designed to manage chronic pain, deliver electrical pulses from an implantable pulse generator to leads with stimulating contacts in order to mask pain signals traveling to the brain. More than 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, according to the Institute of Medicine. Living in constant pain for an extended period of time can have a devastating impact on quality of life.

“Anchoring a lead can be a time consuming part of the SCS procedure, and lead migration resulting in the need for revision is a known complication of SCS,” said Richard Bowman, M.D., of the Center of Pain Relief in Charleston, W.V. “The Fixate device improves the surgical technique by allowing the lead anchor to be secured tightly to tissue in a quick and efficient way with a small anchoring incision.”

Bench test data show that, on average, the Fixate tissue band can place a suture in under one minute. The semi-automated design provides ease of use for physicians and offers a minimally invasive inline design.

“We are pleased to add the Fixate device to our expanding neuromodulation portfolio,” said Maulik Nanavaty, president of Boston Scientific’s Neuromodulation Division. “We believe the Fixate device is a significant advance for lead securement, and this acquisition demonstrates our commitment to bringing to the market innovations that are designed to improve patient outcomes.”

The Fixate Tissue Band is indicated for use as an accessory to the leads and catheter component of spinal cord stimulator and pain pump systems functioning to secure the lead to the fascia or inter-spinous and supra-spinous ligament.

Boston Scientific Neuromodulation focuses on implantable pain management technology.