NEWS RELEASE
Minne Ties® Agile MMF by Summit Medical Wins 2018 Medical Design Excellence Award
Minne Ties has been disrupting the cranio-maxillofacial space since being cleared by the FDA
Unlike other systems on the market, Minne Ties is a non-invasive solution that minimizes discomfort for patients and risk of injury for surgeons
ST. PAUL, Minn. (July 18, 2018) — Summit Medical, an Innovia Medical Company, today announced that Minne Ties Agile MMF — an innovative approach to achieving maxilla-mandibular fixation — has been selected as the Silver Winner in the “ER and OR Tools, Equipment, and Supplies” category of the 20th Annual Medical Design Excellence Awards, the premier awards program for the medtech industry. The 2018 winning products were recently announced at the MDEA Ceremony held in June in New York City in conjunction with MD&M East — the East Coast’s largest advanced design and manufacturing event.
Redefining the Industry Standard for MMF
Minne Ties Agile MMF has been disrupting the cranio-maxillofacial space since May 2017 upon being cleared by the FDA. Unlike other systems on the market, Minne Ties is a non-invasive solution that provides a steady force and secure bite to allow for closed reduction fracture management or stabilization for internal fixation. The first-of-its-kind, non-invasive product was developed in partnership with Dr. Alan Johnson and the University of Minnesota’s Medical Device Center Innovation Program to be a safe, simple and efficient solution for use in jaw fracture management.
The Minne Ties suture design resembles a zip tie — one end featuring a smooth clasp head and the other a stainless steel blunt tip introducer — which minimizes the risks of wire sticks to the surgeon and decreases patient discomfort. The medical grade, self-locking ties are applied through the interdental space to provide a secure bite, achieving MMF. Minne Ties are quick and easy to apply and can be applied in the operating room or in a doctor’s office, allowing for more freedom and potential savings for healthcare facilities.
This short video demonstrates how the innovative design of the Minne Ties offers an industry-disrupting solution:
Safe: Minne Ties eliminates sharp wires and screws that injure the doctor or cause periodontal damage to the patient.
Simple: Application of Minne Ties’ self-locking sutures allow for quick and easy procedures in a non-surgical or surgical setting.
Efficient: Each Minne Ties suture takes significantly less space in the mouth, which allows for better access for plating, increased visibility of the tissue cuff for suturing, and tangle-free sutures during closing.
Non-Invasive: Minne Ties’ blunt introducer is fed through the interdental space and trimmed after application leaving only the smooth clasp head for patient comfort.
For decades, jaw fractures were treated with the same standard procedures that involved arch bars and wires. In more recent years, hybrid systems were introduced that use wire and screws. These treatments cause severe pain and injury to patients’ mouths and gums. Combining his facial trauma surgical training and engineering background, Dr. Johnson wanted a better solution, “I detested the long, clumsy process of wiring a person’s jaw, but despised the process of taking them off of patients in the clinic even more,” said Dr. Johnson. “Patients suffer, and I felt responsible for not having a better solution.”
Hospitals adapting the new Minne Ties Agile MMF include the UCLA Medical Center, UC Davis Medical Center, Grady Memorial Hospital, Indiana University Hospital, University of Minnesota, Hennepin County Medical Center, Kansas University Medical Center, Geisinger Medical Center, Greenville Memorial Hospital, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Mercy Hospital and more.
The MDEAs are the medical technology industry’s premier design competition committed to searching for the world’s highest caliber finished medical devices, products, systems, or packaging available on the market. The awards program celebrates the achievements of the medical device manufacturers, their suppliers, and the many people behind the scenes — engineers, scientists, designers, and clinicians — who are responsible for the cutting-edge products that are saving lives; improving patient healthcare; and transforming medtech—one innovation at a time.
“Being recognized by the MDEA judges among the other winners is an indescribable feeling,” said Kevin McIntosh, President of Summit Medical. “The impact of Minne Ties Agile MMF on the industry increases with each day. Being able to take a front row seat to seeing how it is disrupting the market and transforming surgeon and patient experiences is second to none.”
The 2018 MDEA Juror Panel selected 42 exceptional finalists in nine medical technology product categories. Products were judged based on design and engineering innovation; function and user-related innovation; patient benefits; business benefits; and overall benefit to the healthcare system. Unlike other design competitions that are merely styling contests, the MDEA jury is comprised of a balance of practicing doctors, nurses, and technicians alongside industrial designers, engineers, manufacturers, and human factors experts.
About Summit Medical, an Innovia Medical Company
Summit Medical — an Innovia Medical Company headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota — is a medical device manufacturer that has been serving the global healthcare community for over 30 years. The company is dedicated to staying on top of industry demands and developing the solutions to meet them throughout all the stages of design, engineering and manufacturing. The company specializes in various medical devices such as ENT products, plastic and cosmetic surgery products, ophthalmic products, jaw fixation products under the Minne Ties® brand, and instrument protection trays and care and maintenance products under the InstruSafe® brand. For more information about Summit Medical, visit www.summitmedicalusa.com.
About Medical Design Excellence Awards
The MDEA program is presented by UBM’s Advanced Manufacturing portfolio, the leading B-to-B event producer, publisher, and digital media business for the world’s $3 trillion advanced, technology-based manufacturing industry, and by Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry (MD+DI), the industry’s central source for late-breaking news, information, and business intelligence. For more information about the Medical Design Excellence Awards—including additional details about the manufacturers and suppliers that created the 2017 MDEA-winning products—visit the MDEA website at www.MDEAwards.com or e-mail: [email protected].
Media Contact:
Courtney Mehus
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