Lord Darzi meets Tissuemed at Arab Health 2012 - posted: Tuesday, 21st February 2012
Tissuemed’s booth was very busy during the recent Arab Health meeting in Dubai, with visits from distributors and others interested in TissuePatch, our range of sealant films for preventing fluid and air leaks following surgery.
Here David Mandley and Anne Kavanagh are being introduced to Lord Darzi (right), former UK Government Health minister, currently a Business Ambassador for the UK and Hamlyn Chair of Surgery at Imperial College London.
Lord Darzi spent several minutes discussing Tissuemed's unique products and was pleased to see a UK business promoting an exciting technology in an important marketplace.TissuePatchDural - Latest clinical paper from University of Bonn. - posted: Monday, 28th November 2011
Tissuemed exhibiting at MEDICA 2011 - posted: Monday, 14th November 2011
Gordon Sutherland joins Tissuemed - posted: Tuesday, 1st November 2011
Gordon Sutherland has been appointed as a non-executive Director to the Board. Gordon has worked in the healthcare industry for over 30 years and has held senior positions with Johnson & Johnson, ConvaTec-Bristol Myers Squibb and Baxter Biosurgery Europe and is currently with Gambro. Paul Banner, Tissuemed's Chairman commented, 'I believe that Gordon’s significant healthcare experience is a great asset for Tissuemed and helps the board achieve a much better balance going forward'.
Tissuemed - New CEO announced - posted: Tuesday, 1st November 2011
Tissuemed are pleased to announce that Dr. David Mandley has been appointed as the company's new CEO. David has worked for over 10 years at Tissuemed and he has been a Director of the Company for four years. Prior to his appointment as Tissuemed’s CEO, David had responsibility for Tissuemed’s Regulatory and Quality functions and has also travelled extensively on behalf of the Company to meet the surgeons who trial our potential new products. In this role he has also come to know many of our overseas distributors. David takes over as CEO from Jeremy Sampson, who has acted as temporary CEO for the last four months. Jeremy, a board member for over three years becomes Tissuemed's Deputy Chairman.
Tissuemed granted US patent - posted: Friday, 21st October 2011
Tissuemed is pleased to announce that a key patent for the adhesive component of its underlying technology has been accepted for grant in the United States. The patent, relating to Tissuemed's Tissuebond™ bioadhesive is already granted in Australia, Russia and South Africa. For further information about the TissuePatch product family of surgical sealant films and potential collaborative opportunities contact Tissuemed at info@tissuemed.com
German Thoracic meeting, 23rd September 2011 - posted: Friday, 23rd September 2011
Tissuemed will be attending the German Thoracic Meeting in Dusseldorf this Friday, 23rd September. Anne Kavanagh commented "attending country meetings with our distributor partners is important to show our commitment to product training and support for our distributor sales teams". Lamed our distributor in Germany are most welcoming and I'm really looking forward to joining them at this important opportunity to meet new and existing customers.
UK: Birmingham Review Course for Cardiothoracic trainees - posted: Wednesday, 21st September 2011
Tissuemed is pleased to announce that once again in partnership with our UK Distributor LiNA Medical, we are one of the sponsors of the Birmingham Review Course, commencing Thursday 22nd September. This hugely popular and successful event is for Cardiothoracic trainees and Tissuemed are pleased to show commitment to supporting this years attendees. For information about TissuePatchThoracic, Tissuemed's surgical sealant film for prevention of air leaks go to the product homepage or contact us at info@tissuemed.com
Tissuemed at the EANS meeting, 9-14th Oct. - posted: Wednesday, 21st September 2011
Tissuemed will be exhibiting TissuePatchDural at the 14th European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (EANS) meeting in Rome, Italy from October 9-14th. Come and visit us on stand #53 in the exhibition hall (click here for a map of the floor plan). Medtronic who distribute ObexNeuroFilm (the sister product of TissuePatchDural), will also be exhibiting in Rome. For further information access the Tissuemed website or contact us at info@tissuemed.com
Updated Technical Bulletins - Burst pressure performance - posted: Saturday, 27th August 2011
We are pleased to present two new Technical Bulletins detailing the in vitro burst pressure testing of Tissuemed's surgical sealant films compared to a series of commercially available products used in thoracic and neurosurgery. These reports replace a 2008 paper and now incorporate competitor device comparisons for TissuePatchThoracic and TissuePatchDural in their respective clinical applications. If you would like to know more about the TissuePatch product family please contact us here
Public Service Review: Tissuemed Article - posted: Monday, 25th July 2011
Economic factors are increasingly important when selecting and justifying use of new and even existing products in surgery. A new article, published in Public Service Review: Health and Social Care 28, proposes that healthcare economic arguments should not be merely an essential consideration, but rather can be used to actively provoke adoption of new technologies. The specific focus of the article is on the use of Tissuemed's TissuePatch products as a means of improving outcome and therefore reducing cost of care, by reducing the need for continued treatment or extended hospitalisation. The full article, entitled; "Healthcare Economics; The Driver for adoption of a new surgical technology" can be seen by clicking Healthcare Economic Article. The article concludes; "TissuePatch is a real-world example of technology adoption requiring a product to be in the sweet spot of improving surgical outcomes with associated cost savings".
Medtech can help beat the recession, says Eucomed - posted: Monday, 25th July 2011
Interesting article featured in Medtech Business:..... A letter by Eucomed Chief Executive John Wilkinson to the Financial Times, responding to its claim that the medical device industry is suffering a “cyclical” market downturn, emphasised the potential of innovative medical technology to provide solutions to health economic problems. This position concurs with Tissuemed's view that new technologies (indeed its own) are an essential component in improving the efficiency of healthcare delivery. It also goes on to concur with Tissuemed's analysis that healthcare providers must not adopt the siege mentality of just "saying no" to new technologies because of local budgetary restrictions. In his letter to the FT, John Wilkinson also states “increased rationing of care” and the failure of many health systems to “wholly assess the full value of medical technology innovation”, leads them to erect barriers to innovation in the interests of “short-term cost control rather than long-term efficiency and effectiveness.” All completely reflective of the daily reality faced by companies carrying superb new technologies to clinicians and other stakeholders.... The full article can be found here.
TissuePatchThoracic - Q2 Feedback - posted: Wednesday, 20th July 2011
Tissuemed has today released the latest feedback (to the end of Q2 2011) from thoracic surgeons using TissuePatchThoracic as part of their management of intra- and post-operative air leaks.
David Mandley, responsible for clinical affairs commented; 'In the second 3 months of 2011, thoracic surgeons using TissuePatchThoracic have provided us with excellent feedback. I'm pleased to report that we have exceeded the previous quarter in terms of surgeon rating for 'Ease of Use' and 'Effectiveness', with in excess of 80% of users rating TissuePatchThoracic in the top two categories'.
TissuePatchThoracic is sold through Tissuemed’s network of distributors across Europe and other global markets. For details of the distributor in your area please enquire here.
Follow Tissuemed on Facebook - posted: Monday, 18th July 2011
You can now follow Tissuemed on Facebook. For up to the date information and to share your experiences and news why not follow us here or simply search for Tissuemed Ltd in Facebook.
Charity Success - posted: Wednesday, 6th July 2011
Congratulations to our own Vicki Hutchinson
(Operations) for an amazing achievement in the recent Race for Life event here in Leeds.
On a extremely warm day at Temple Newsam, Vicki (pictured right) completed the 5k challenge in half and hour and has raised more than £300 for Cancer Research UK. Well done!
Poster presentation at European Thoracic Meeting - posted: Monday, 4th July 2011
This years annual gathering of the European Society for Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS) in Marseille saw a poster presentation from thoracic surgeons at the Glenfield Hospital in Leicester, UK. The team comprising Inger Oey, Kelvin Lau and led by David Waller reported their use of TissuePatch in video-assisted thoracoscopic lung volume reduction surgery (VATSLVRS). Over a two year period, 26 such procedures were undertaken using TissuePatch, with the data compared to an historical group of 158 VATSLVRS cases where two different types of staple lines buttresses were used. Full details of the findings from this series are presented here. In summary, for patients where TissuePatch was used to support the staple line (as an alternative to conventional buttressing), the mean duration of surgery was shortened significantly from 71 to 50 minutes. Furthermore, the mean length of stay was reduced from 20 to 17 days. For Tissuemed, David Mandley, Director responsible for clinical affairs commented, 'in this series of 26 patients the team from Leicester have demonstrated that TissuePatch can be used in VATS LVR surgery and seems to shorten operative time, duration of air leak and hospital stay. The observed reduction in both operating time and length of stay create a strong economic case for the use of TissuePatch'.
Photographed below is Inger Oey discussing this work and answering questions from delegates in Marseille.
Tissuemed CEO stepping down at the end of June - posted: Wednesday, 29th June 2011
Tissuemed’s CEO Nick Woods has announced that he is to step down from the role at the end of June. Nick first became non executive Deputy Chairman in early 2007 and undertook the CEO role from mid 2008. Since joining the company he has presided over the commercialisation of Tissuemed’s first product, TissuePatch3, with the subsequent development and launch of TissuePatchDural and later TissuePatchThoracic. In 2010 the company entered into an agreement with Medtronic Inc., which included the exclusive distribution of Obex Neurofilm across major European territories. At the time Medtronic also made a significant investment in Tissuemed, a move seen as endorsement of the company’s technology. Summarising his decision Nick states; “It is with a mixture of satisfaction and sadness that I step down from Tissuemed. It’s been an enormous privilege to work with people who are so innovative, intelligent and committed to what they are achieving here. It’s been wonderful to be part of it, especially to have had some small part in taking what started as an R&D project and seeing it used to such good effect in the Operating Theatre. There are few things as rewarding as seeing an idea turned into a commercial reality, especially when what that means is helping surgeons to improve outcomes for people at the end of complex and risk-prone surgical procedures.” “My decision to step down was driven entirely by my assessment of the interests of Tissuemed. While the company has massive potential, it also needs absolute commitment to achieve it and after four years of effort I think the time is right to put a fresh face in the driving seat. There is no doubt in my mind that with the right ethos and a new CEO with his/her own ideas the company will continue to punch above its weight.” Jeremy Sampson, non executive FD and from 1 July acting CEO said; “I’ve known Nick for many years and we both got involved with Tissuemed together. I was so pleased Nick agreed to act as CEO nearly three years ago and bring his own distinctive style and ideas to the business – We all owe him a great deal of thanks. He never made any secret of the fact that at the appropriate time he would be stepping down and so we are well prepared to bridge the hopefully short period before we install our new CEO. Nick remains a significant shareholder and I know won’t mind me calling him from time to time - Thanks Nick !” For any queries or further information in regard to this release please contact Jeremy Sampson initially by emailing him
Tissuemed distributor meeting - posted: Thursday, 23rd June 2011
Tissuemed took the opportunity presented by its attendance at the British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Meeting in Nice this week to get it's distributors together. The group was updated on all matters clinical and also listened to eminent surgeons discussing the success they were enjoying with the new TissuePatchDS (double sided) iteration. In early clinical observational studies the product is reportedly offering demonstrable reduction in post operative drainage across a range of indications from head and neck through mastectomy and breast reconstruction procedures. Pictured here 
is head and neck surgeon Mr Leo Cheng presenting his findings to the group and talking about his work on the Mercy Ship off the coast of Africa.
The fate of TissuePatch in the body - posted: Friday, 17th June 2011
Use of absorbable implants is commonplace in surgery, yet for obvious reasons the fate of those implants is less well characterised than it might be. Companies have been known to use the word "absorbable" to describe materials that are self evidently still around five years later. It's arguable whether this matters or not, but what clearly is important is the impact of the material and its breakdown products on the tissues around it. In this piece of work Tissuemed brings together a set of typical histological specimens from implants made over a clinically relevant time period and demonstrates just how minimal the reaction to its Tissuepatch products is. Entitled "the Fate of TissuePatch" the histology shows a clear and typical pattern, with a short term inflammatory response followed by ongoing and ever decreasing macrophage activity around the implanted material. This low level of foreign body response is reassuring for the user and encourages the company that its ultra fine bioadhesive sealant films may have indications in many tissue types.
Clinical Services Journal article features Tissuemed - posted: Thursday, 9th June 2011
Click here to see a review article published in the Clinical services Journal. The document is entitled "Preventing Leaks in Surgery" and details the origination and clinical experience relating to TissuePatch technology. Tissuemed is on a mission to reduce the negative consequences associated with leakage of blood, fluid or air from bodily tissues encountered during surgery, by advocating the use of its ultra fine adhesive sealant film to aid closure of vulnerable tissues. By reducing leakage the surgeon can reduce the need for insertion of drains, which in turn reduces the time taken for patients to leave hospital, itself normally dictated by drain removal.
Tissuemed - European exhibitions - posted: Friday, 3rd June 2011
Next week Tissuemed will be attending two separate conferences and showcasing products within the TissuePatch family. This year's annual meeting of the European Society for Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS) will be held in Marseille, France, from 5 - 8 June. In addition to exhibiting TissuePatchThoracic, we are pleased to announce that Mr David Waller and colleagues from the Glenfield Hospital, Leicester, UK will be presenting their experiences with TissuePatch in video-assisted thoracoscopic lung volume reduction surgery (VATS LVRS). In parallel with the ESTS, Tissuemed will be supporting the team from Aptiva, (Tissuemed's exclusive distributor in Italy), at this year's National Congress of the Italian Neurosurgery Society (SINch), being held in Florence. For Tissuemed, David Mandley commented, 'Neurosurgeons from Italy have been extremely proactive in talking about their clinical experience with TissuePatchDural. I'm really looking forward to this year's meeting, both to listen to feedback from surgeons who are already using the device for CSF leak prevention, and to present the concept of our surgical sealant film to new surgeons.
New Clinical Case Reports - posted: Friday, 27th May 2011
Tissuemed is pleased to announce two new Clinical Case Reports from surgeons at two UK centres. The first describes the use of TissuePatchDural by an ENT consultant surgeon to repair a posterior semicircular canal perilymph fistula. This is the first reported use of Tissuemed's surgical sealant film technology in this application. At follow up complete resolution of pressure-induced vertigo from the perilymph fistula was noted with no relapse of symptoms at last follow up 7 months after surgery. No hearing loss or worsening of balance was noted. The second details use of TissuePatch3 as an adjunct in thyroid surgery to prevent blood and other fluid leakage. In addition to providing an effective seal, TissuePatch3 also provided protection of the recurrent laryngeal nerve and parathyroid gland at the thyroid bed from the vacuum suction drain. This case report represents one of a series of patients that Mr Leo Cheng (St Bartholomew’s, the Royal London, & Homerton University Hospitals) has undertaken and will be presenting at next months BAOMS meeting in Nice (22-24th June) that Tissuemed will be attending.
ASGBI - a very successful showcase in Bournemouth - posted: Monday, 16th May 2011
New and existing Tissuemed products received a very warm reception at the well attended 2011 Association of Surgeons (of GB and Ireland) meeting in Bournemouth. One of the many highlights of the 3 days was the visit of labour peer Sir Robert Winston, who wished the recently extended Tissuemed team well with their drive to deliver UK research and development into a rapidly evolving healthcare environment. The TissuepatchDS (double-sided) & newest addition to the company’s TissuePatch surgical sealant film family, attracted a new cohort to the stand. Surgeons performing reconstructive procedures were particularly enthusiastic about how the time and energy involved in avoiding or minimising seroma formation could potentially be reduced by adopting Tissuemed's double sided adhesive film to seal juxtaposed tissue surfaces. Many observed that reducing the risks and costs associated with extensive and prolonged wound drainage would be greatly appreciated by both patients and healthcare providers alike.
Digital Air Leak Assessment: New Clinical publication - posted: Tuesday, 10th May 2011
One of the biggest challenges facing practitioners of Lung resection surgery, as readers of Tissuemed's news output will know, is how to develop a treatment regime which prevents post surgical air leaks in a demonstrably effective way. The inputs into the discussion are numerous, not least being the method adopted during surgery to protect at-risk tissue from suffering sustained air leak or even becoming progressively more leaky in the post-operative phase. Interestingly one of the reasons why air leak reduction has taken a while to become a fully fledged dot on the radar has been the inherently subjective manner in which post-operative leaks are assessed. The adage that once you start to measure things their performance improved holds true here and this new paper hints at this by proposing that adopting a digital air leak measurement regime can actually contribute to measurable parameters including duration, drain removal and discharge. Unsurprisingly, rather than effecting a change to the air leaks per se, what the paper appears to conclude is that by providing more accurate assessment of air leaks the treatment regime can be tailored as appropriate with a higher degree of confidence. Interestingly patient stay was actually reduced (albeit not statistically significantly) from 7.1 to 6.5 days. The abstract (Bertolaccini et al, EJCTS) can be viewed here. Tissuemed's contention is that by selective use of its TissuePatchThoracic synthetic absorbable adhesive sealant film on at-risk tissues or existent identified air leaks the operator has at his/her disposal the means to optimise every patient's air leak status at the end of the procedure. Digital measurement of the existence of air leaks will be a useful tool in confirming this view as more clinicians adopt such technologies.
TissuePatchThoracic for use in VATS surgery: New video - posted: Tuesday, 26th April 2011
Dr Prof Marco Rovati from Universita degli Studi in Milan, Italy has produced an excellent video demonstrating use of TissuePatchThoracic in Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery. The video clearly demonstrates use of the VATS delivery system to insert the patch into the thoracic cavity and onto the lung surface. The patch can clearly be seen to apply well to the tissue surface and form an adjunctive support over the staple line. To view the video on youtube click here
Obex NeuroFilm - Approved in Australia - posted: Thursday, 21st April 2011
Tissuemed is pleased to report that the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) of Australia has recently approved ObexNeuroFilm. ObexNeuroFilm an equivalent product to TissuePatchDural is manufactured by Tissuemed, and since September 2010 has been distributed in countries outside the US by Medtronic.
TissuePatch family additions to be showcased at ASGBI - posted: Tuesday, 19th April 2011
Tissuemed will be exhibiting its newest products at this year's Association of Surgeons (of GB and Ireland) Meeting in Bournemouth, UK in May. These will include the newest iteration of the company's exciting TissuePatch surgical sealant film family of products, TissuepatchDS (double-sided) which has the intended purpose to be used in sealing of opposing surfaces where voids may exist and oozing surfaces result in fluid pooling requiring extended drainage. The product is already finding great utility in head and neck surgery and it is anticipated that it will be useful in many areas of General Surgery.
TissuePatchDural poster presentation at AANS Denver - posted: Friday, 15th April 2011
Avoidance of CSF leak after Microvascular Decompression Investigators at Milan's Besta institute have this week seen the poster publication of their study into the use of TissuePatchDural to reduce incidence of CSF leak following surgery for Microvascular Decompression. The study was a retrospective analysis of 100 consecutive patients, 50 in each group (patch vs no patch), in cases performed by the same operative team over the last year. While not statistically significant the indicative finding is that 2/50 of the non patch group suffered CSF leaks, while 0/50 of the patch group suffered CSF leak. The paper concludes that this work is encouraging and suggests further study to substantiate the reduction in incidence of CSF leak by using TissuePatchDural. The centre continues to use the product and is collecting further data at the present time.
Adjunctive tissue closure can mean reduced patient stay - posted: Thursday, 14th April 2011
Duration of patient stay in hospital following an operation is an issue that is very much "of the moment". Not only do patients prefer to be home sooner rather than later, but the simple economics of the exercise make a compelling argument for early discharge also. Surgeons glow with pride when their patients are discharged earlier than "the norm" following significant surgical procedures, and so they should, because in broad terms good surgery results in good outcome results in early discharge. All of this is highly relevant for Tissuemed because it describes the company's raison d'etre in a round about way. For example, adjunctive use of TissuePatch is associated with reduced duration or requirement for post-operative drainage, which is furthermore associated with reduced patient morbidity. So by spending a little, the hospital has the opportunity to save a lot...and free up beds into the bargain. Patient discharge from hospital one day early more than justifies the cost of spending a minute on the use of one of Tissuemed's TissuePatch family of products. The company is collating a body of evidence to substantiate and support this healthcare economic exercise in many surgical disciplines, of which more to follow in future posts.
Prolonged Air Leak in Lung Surgery: Does it demand a prophylactic approach? - posted: Tuesday, 12th April 2011
According to the clinical literature air leaks occur in resective lung surgery in approximately 70% of cases. Of these, more recently it has been reported that 57% are grade 2 or 3. It's also frequently reported that approximately 10% will develop into prolonged air leaks(PAL). So given the lack of perfect correlation between intraoperatively assessed grade 2/3 leaks and later PAL, does this mean that all grade 2/3 leaks identified post-resection during surgery should be treated as though they are potential candidates for enduring leakage? As usual it's difficult to be definitive. No surgeon would close a chest with a significant air leak, so the population is skewed by the surgeon's efforts to level the playing field by minimising identifiable leaks. Does the 10% of PAL correlate with the 10% of cases graded as 3 intraoperatively? If yes, one would seriously question the quality or method of repair. Without detailed data it is very difficult to confidently correlate intraoperatively assessed leak grade with prediction of PAL. There is unlikely to be one key determining factor in selection of patients for additional adjunctive measures to reduce PAL. Propensity seems to be multifactorial, including initial leak grade and quality of repair among others. Obviously Tissuemed exists because leaks exist, which means the company is keen to be involved in the management of those leaks, but equally the company cannot entertain bad science or non evidence based practices. The jury is definitely out when it comes to adoption of a protocol to guide the use adjunctive measures to seal leaks, but what does come across loud and clear in our post-marketing data collection is that TissuePatchThoracic is an extremely effective and easy to use solution, albeit to a moving target.
TissuePatch3 Australian patent granted - posted: Friday, 8th April 2011
Tissuemed has announced that its TissuePatch3 patent filing has now been allowed by the Australian patent authorities and will be granted in the next few days. For Tissuemed David Mandley commented; "This patent pertains to our base terpolymer technology, so we are pleased to see it granted in what is an important territory for us".
New TissuePatch3 usage guidelines published - posted: Tuesday, 5th April 2011
Tissuemed has updated its guidance for use document and made it available on its website here. The pdf document shows only minor changes from previous versions, but of note is the company's repeating of the guidance that the swab used to hold its product in approximation with the tissue is better to be moistened rather than dry. This is a relatively insignificant change to original guidance, and more of a "hint and tip" than a directive. However it is based on feedback from surgeons who state that the material conforms more quickly and completely to complex tissue surfaces when a moist swab is used to hold it in place for the required period of time.
TissuePatchThoracic: Q1 feedback - posted: Tuesday, 5th April 2011
Tissuemed has today released the latest feedback (up to the end of Q1 2011), collected from Thoracic Surgeons who are using TissuePatchThoracic as part of their management of intra- and post-operative air leaks.
For Tissuemed, David Mandley commented; 'Over the course of the last 3 months we have continued to receive excellent reports from customers using TissuePatchThoracic. In excess of 75% of users have rated the product in the top two categories, and all have indicated that they will continue to use as part of their management of air leaks'.
More support for digital air leak measurement - posted: Monday, 4th April 2011
In the most recent edition of the European Journal of Cardio-thoracic surgery (EJCTS), Brunelli et al publish results of a prospective observational study relating to the use of digital measurement of air flow post-lobectomy surgery as a means of predicting the risk of subsequent prolonged air leak (PAL). All patients in the study were measured for air leak and intrapleural pressure at 6 hours post-operatively and both parameters were found to be predictors of PAL in the study setting. While this work looks at digital measurement per se as being a useful tool in post-operative management of these patients, it is also pertinent to point out that if significant air leaks are identified at 6 hours (52% of these cases) they are likely to become persistent. This suggests that strategies should be adopted which minimise post-operative air leaks. These strategies may include use of TissuePatchThoracic bioadhesive films as promoted by Tissuemed in cases where predictive factors for air leaks are high.
TissuePatchThoracic resolves persistent air leak - posted: Monday, 4th April 2011
It's been reported by Tissuemed's Danish distributor that a patient was operated on last friday for a troublesome air leak that had lasted 14 days after a previous lobectomy. The patient presented with a leak of 300-400ml/min and had lung tissue that was not suitable for suturing. Consequently the surgeon used two pieces of 10cm x 10cm TissePatchThoracic, which resulted in an immediate leak reduction to 60-70ml/min. Today the surgeon reports the patient has had drains removed and is expected to be sent home tomorrow, subject to satisfactory X-Ray. On Tissuemed's evaluation form the surgeon has scored the product excellent for effectiveness and 5/5 for ease of use. This is further evidence that the TissuePatch "film-based" technology works well in resolution of complex air leaks even situations where other solutions such as use of additional suturing or liquid glues are not options.
Another PEG-based sealant paper raises questions of efficacy in aerostasis - posted: Wednesday, 30th March 2011
In a recently published article relating to the use of PEG-based sealant Coseal (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Tan%20%2B%20Coseal), the authors conclude that use of the product was associated with a longer time to cessation of air leak, longer time to drain removal (4 vs 3 days) and a longer length of stay (7 vs 6 days). This follows the recent withdrawal of Covidien's Pleuraseal (also PEG-based) following reportedly poor clinical performance. In contrast Tissuemed's post-marketing study, supplemented by further data collected since the study, suggests that use of TissuePatch3 and its sister product TissuePatchThoracic provides instant intraoperative air leak treatment with sustained effect, reduced drain time and potential to modify the patient treatment algorithm to reduce patient stay. Tissuemed is working to substantiate these findings and provide statistical significance with larger prospective study including digital air leak monitoring, but anecdotally is receiving significant positive feedback on all important criteria.
Give me a whiffle!....in VATS a partially filled lung offers a better surface for TissuePatch - posted: Friday, 25th March 2011
This may not translate well, but it's a lovely story regardless. If the purpose of this site is to impart nuggets of user information to the surgical community, then this is what it's all about. A leading thoracic surgeon, while using TissuePatchThoracic in a VATS case recently stated that he felt a fully deflated lung might not offer enough resistance to the product being pressed onto its surface, so he turned to the anaesthetist and requested; "Give me a whiffle", meaning "please partially inflate the lung". Whiffle duly applied the patch appeared to adhere readily to the tissue surface...imagine applying sticky tape to a burst balloon and then imagine if the balloon has been modestly inflated. The tissue surface is smoother and a firmer substrate against which to apply the modest pressure required for seating of the tape.
Stick with TissuePatch: If at first you don't succeed.... - posted: Friday, 25th March 2011
Here's an amazing story relating to the use of TissuePatch in lung surgery. Tissuemed collects feedback from surgeons as avidly as possible, and we look specifically to address two questions.....how well does the product work and how easy is it to use? Anyone scrolling through our blog will pick up a recurring theme, which is just how much variability it is possible to get between applications. This is almost certainly predominantly due to two factors: moisture of tissue surface and experience of surgeon. Surgeons tell us all the time that they need to get used to the product and "find their own way" to optimal air leak reduction. Today we received a feedback form that crystallises this perfectly. A surgeon from Denmark used our original product TissuePatch3 for air leak reduction in 2008 and scored it 1(out of 5) for ease of use and 1 (out of 5) for efficacy..... "it just didn't stick". Contrastingly today's feedback from the same surgeon scores TissuePatchThoracic, a fundamentally very similar product, 4 out of 5 on both counts. Our analysis is that with good technique the product is extremely effective, easy and quick to use and most importantly, is a learned skill.
TissuePatchDural poster at AANS: abstract now available - posted: Thursday, 24th March 2011
Dr Paolo Ferroli and colleagues from the Carlo Besta institute in Milan have a poster entitled "Avoidance of CSF leak after Microvascular decompression with clinical use of a new synthetic adhesive film" at this year's AANS meeting. The paper includes details of 100 patients who underwent MVD surgery, half of which involved use of TissuePatchDural sealant film. Follow up of up to 18 months showed no post operative leaks in treated patients whereas 2 leaks were identified in the controls. Using your iTunes account, download the 2011 AANS Denver Annual Scientific Meeting app and search poster number 1499.
Tissuemed attends SCTS - posted: Tuesday, 22nd March 2011
This year's Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland (SCTS) meeting is being held right now at London's Excel conference venue and Tissuemed is exhibiting there. Reporting from the event Anne Kavanagh has enthusiastically commented; "I'm very pleased with the way TissuePatchThoracic is being received by this community. It's incredible that so many surgeons are recounting specific cases in which our product has helped them resolve air leaks in difficult areas where other solutions simply wouldn't have done the job. Whether it's difficult to access leaks or intricate fissures it really does seem to be the case that the product offers an advantage over the liquids and sprays, and probably the biggest positive we're getting is the sustained leak free status. There is a big difference between being able to achieve air leak reduction acutely and seeing that reduction remain over the post-operative course."
New Case study: TissuePatch in Thyroid Surgery - posted: Monday, 21st March 2011
Tissuemed has today published a case report following the successful use of TissuePatch as a sealant during thyroid surgery.The product appears to reduce post-surgical drainage from the operative site and as such is a useful adjunct to the toolkit a surgeon can use in this procedure. Most especially in this case study the patch was used to protect key structures from inserted drains which may otherwise have been potentially hazardous in the post-operative phase. To read the case report click here.
Tissuemed home page updated with Surgeon Interview and Thyroid Video - posted: Friday, 18th March 2011
Tissuemed's home page now features links through to the two new videos the company has been advertising this week. Tissuemed's products are indicated for use in "reducing or preventing oozing of tissue surfaces during surgery", which is a broad field of application and means we are sometimes dependent on our surgeon community to find a benefit of using it ina broad range of procedures. Thyroid surgery, frequently performed by Oral/maxillofacial, ENT or Head and Neck surgeons is one such procedure in which a variety of sources of troublesome surgical leak can be minimised by judicious application of the patch. Furthermore the device will act to separate tissues in the early post-operative period, preventing unwanted contact between certain tissues and neurovascular structures. For further information or if you have specific enquiries please contact Tissuemed direct by emailing here with your enquiry.
TissuePatch: It's a Tissue Sealant not a Tissue Substitute - posted: Thursday, 17th March 2011
On first encountering TissuePatch in any of its iterations it is tempting to think of it as some form of tissue substitute...after all it is a solid sheet of synthetic material with no obvious adhesive quality to the touch, and it certainly does not bear any resemblance to the traditional and relatively commonplace liquid sealants. At Tissuemed we go to great lengths to make sure our distributing partners understand the indications for use for our product and moreover the limitations to its use. As a firmly adherent film (to proteins on tissue surfaces) it is in many ways the perfect sealant, adjunctive to traditional closure techniques. However by the same token it is definitely not a tissue substitute because it is not designed to be. It is not a scaffold and does not have a structure likely to be a substrate for tissue ingrowth. Surgeons develop their own armoury of products, and often the lines between indications get blurred....dural substitutes get used as sealants, haemostats get used as sealants, sealants get used as haemostats, external wound closure cyanoacrylate glues have even been known to find their way into internal tissue closure. So to clarify the take-home messages for TissuePatch are: Will it act as a haemostat?.....only by virtue of bonding to tissues, so physical rather than thrombogenic. Will it prevent adhesions?....it will separate tissues, but we don't have evidence to support an anti-PSA claim. At least it doesn't appear to be adhesiogenic and we have good evidence of this from 2nd look surgery. Will it act as a tissue scaffold/substitute?....no Is it an incredibly effective sealant?....yes Hope that helps
CE mark for double sided TissuePatch - posted: Thursday, 17th March 2011
Tissuemed has been granted CE mark approval for its double sided adhesive patch, named TissuepatchDS. The product will now enter a clinical evaluation phase during which surgeon feedback will be monitored closely from a small number of sites across the UK. The product is indicated for use where apposing tissue surfaces need to be sealed against oozing leaks and may be especially useful in reducing or even obviating the need for insertion of post-operative drains. Clinical evaluations will focus on this end point and be reported prior to full commercialisation of the product.
TissuePatchThoracic full marks in user feedback from Denmark - posted: Thursday, 17th March 2011
In a thoracic surgery case performed recently involving a left upper lobe resection the surgeon from Denmark has completed an evaluation form and scored the product as "excellent" for effectiveness and 5 out of 5 for ease of use. He has added the comment that the product was "easy and quick to use", providing confirmation that our goal of providing a product that requires no preparation and is functionally effective in seconds has been achieved. The amount of positive feedback the company is now receiving is extremely encouraging and growing exponentially as usage of this novel solution to resolution of air leaks is adopted.
Head and Neck surgery with TissuePatch3: Interview with Surgeon Mr Leo Cheng - posted: Tuesday, 15th March 2011
Mr Leo Cheng, Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon speaks about his experiences with TissuePatch3. During the interview Mr Cheng describes how and why he uses the product and talks about its use in effecting haemostasis and as a barrier to overlying tissues especially when drains are present. Mr Cheng's experience in using the product is extensive and will be reported in a poster presentation at this year's BAOMS meeting.
Use of TissuePatch3 in Thyroid Surgery: New video - posted: Monday, 14th March 2011
Surgical Sealant film developer Tissuemed Ltd has released a new video showing the use of its TissuePatch3 product in reducing tissue drainage requirement following thyroid surgery. In this video the surgeon Mr Leo Cheng uses several small pieces of the bioadhesive patch on the wound bed. The patch becomes quickly adherent to the tissue, providing a barrier to overlying tissues, preventing them from becoming adherent to important structures and at the same time assisting with haemostasis and wound drainage.
TissuePatch - through the power of histology - posted: Friday, 11th March 2011
Prior to regulatory approval Tissuemed's products are subject to a variety of biocompatibility tests. This rigorous scrutiny provides our customers with confidence to use our products safely. The TissuePatch3 product family now incorporating five products, including the recently CE marked TissuePatchDS (a double sided adhesive device) is a multi-laminate synthetic sealant film incorporating polylactide-co-glycolide (PLGA) and Tissuemed's adhesive polymer, 'Tissuebond'. PLGA is one of the most common biodegradable polymers used in implantable medical devices and as a consequence there are numerous publications devoted to it's biocompatibility, corresponding tissue response and ultimate degradation. By virtue of being a novel bioadhesive, the biocompatibility of 'Tissuebond' has not been reported.
In the next few weeks Tissuemed will be providing a new Technical Bulletin detailing the fate of TissuePatch3 and associated components. As a preview to this much anticipated document here's an histology image from a section implanted for a period of 12 weeks. This H&E section, magnified 100 fold, shows the remains of TissuePatch3 with cellular infiltration and a minimal tissue response.
Woods Medtronic Visit - posted: Thursday, 10th March 2011
Tissuemed's CEO Nick Woods has this week visited Medtronic's facility in Jacksonville Florida. Medtronic has a distribution agreement with Tissuemed to supply Obex Neurofilm in the Neuro/Spinal surgery space and Nick's meeting with senior management at the company was a planned follow up to the commencement of selling activity late in 2010. On his return Nick stated; "It was heart-warming to hear from Medtronic that they are incredibly impressed with our technology. It's rather early to get too excited about the long-term commercial prospects for the venture, but what was very encouraging for me was that they are really working hard to introduce our product to their customers and are already reporting notable successes. In all of our dealings with Medtronic I've been impressed with their honesty of approach and general attention levels to what is in reality a small project for a company of such size. I'm reassured that we are on very much the same page in our beliefs about how to introduce a new technology to the Operating Room environment. What's also clear is that the experience we gleaned from our early endeavour in commercialising a product in this market is a very useful asset for Medtronic. I think it's fair to say we have an unusually large amount of dialogue compared with a typical supplier/distributor relationship....they are great people to work with and we're very happy about that."
TissuePatchThoracic - Prevents unwanted adhesion - posted: Tuesday, 8th March 2011
Recent clinical experience has revealed that TissuePatchThoracic, Tissuemed's surgical sealant film for air leak prevention has barrier properties which prevent post-surgical adhesion formation. In the expectation that further surgery might be required, the consultant surgeon used TissuePatchThoracic as a barrier to separate tissue surfaces and enable easier dissection during any subsequent surgery. Within a month, surgery proceeded and a section of diseased lung/chest wall was removed, during which the patch treated site was examined. The tissue planes were non-adherent, unremarkable, with minimal material remains at the site. TissuePatchThoracic incorporates two distinct surfaces, an adhesive tissue-contacting layer delivering an immediate sealing effect, and a non-adhesive surface comprising PLGA, a resorbable polymer present in a number of adhesion prevention films used in cardiac and plastic surgery.
Tissuemed welcomes Kevin Yeomans - posted: Monday, 7th March 2011
Tissuemed is pleased to extend a warm welcome to Kevin Yeomans who joined us on 1st March in the role of Operations Technologist. Kevin brings a wealth of relevant experience including an MSc in Polymer Chemistry from McGill University, Canada, and 10 years experience of medical device R&D at Smith and Nephew, where he held various roles including Head of Polymer Chemistry, R&D Programme Manager and also QA Manager.
More recently Kevin worked as an Operations team leader at the Forensic Science Service, so brings broad management experience and a keen attention to detail!
Tissuemed at Financial Times event - posted: Friday, 4th March 2011
Earlier this week Tissuemed was invited to be part of small group of Leeds-based organisations selected to discuss the current state of manufacturing in the region. The event, organised by the Financial Times, was an excellent forum for participants from across a variety of sectors - including textiles, engineering and healthcare - to discuss current and local challenges and opportunities. For Tissuemed, David Mandley commented "As well as a strong R&D competency enabling us to design and develop novel medical devices, Tissuemed has a first class manufacturing capability at its facility in Leeds. We are extremely proud of these achievements and it is a credit to the dedicated team who have been key to delivering and maintaining this success in a challenging and highly-regulated industry. The forum was an valuable opportunity to exchange ideas and listen to advice from fellow manufacturers in the North."
TissuePatch3; Thyroid Paper accepted for publication - posted: Thursday, 3rd March 2011
The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons has formally accepted for publication a paper entitled Use of TissuePatch3 Sealant Film in reducing Vascular leak after Thyroid Surgery. The submission, produced by Mr Leo Cheng, Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon at Bart's Hospital and the Homerton Hospital, will be presented as a poster at the BAOMS annual scientific meeting, to be held in Nice, June 22-24th this year. Mr Cheng has significant experience using TissuePatch3 in this indication, finding that its sealing effect reduces drainage volume from the operative site.
Tissuemed distributor newsletter available - posted: Wednesday, 2nd March 2011
Tissuemed has produced a new edition of "dispatches", our newsletter for distributors, intended to keep the community of people who represent our products across the world updates and hopefully entertained with updates about happenings at Tissuemed. The newsletter is for internal use, so if you are one of our distributors or distributor staff and would like a pdf of the document please email your request here.
Surface wetness test in the lab: Optimal adhesion to dry tissue - posted: Tuesday, 1st March 2011
As promised, here is the link to the video taken from some lab testing of TissuePatchThoracic and specifically its adherence to lung tissue. Yesterday's information suggested a drier surface offered better adhesion than a wet surface, and this video bears that out. A wet surface seems to encourage an effect like "aquaplaning", where a layer of liquid prevent the product from coming into contact with the tissue surface. In contrast, the dry surface clearly shows the patch being almost instantly adherent to the tissue. TissuePatch adheres by a two-stage process commencing with initial electrostatic tack followed by covalent bonding. This video provides some hints for the user about how to get the very best from the product.
Surface wetness influences initial adhesion - posted: Monday, 28th February 2011
One of the key variables influencing adhesion of TissuePatch products to tissue surfaces appears to be surface wetness. This is neither surprising, nor indeed unusual....liquid sealants typically "prefer" a drier surface too. So what's going on here exactly? In the case of TissuePatch we're confident that while moisture will activate our chemistry, too much moisture does not appear to use it all up....in other words, even a pre-wetted patch will have adhesive properties (although some adhesive energy will have been lost). So it would appear that moisture pooled on a tissue surface acts more as a lubricant between patch and tissue, so preventing physical contact and being effectively a "spacer" between the two surfaces we'd really like to come together. How to deal with this? Simply swab the tissue surface dry and if it's an oozing surface make sure the TissuePatch is readied for immediate application post-swab. If tissue surface cannot be dried then additional effort to firmly "encourage" the patch to the tissue surface may be required. Usually an additional period of time in apposition will suffice, but the operator should always remember that a fluid layer between patch and surface is likely to compromise adhesion to that surface. Tomorrow.....we'll demonstrate this with a video.
TissuePatch storage: Like a fine wine it doesn't deteriorate - posted: Friday, 25th February 2011
For many sterile surgical products the question of date expiry is really only one of package integrity. For TissuePatch however, where the product contains an active surface that will chemically bond to a tissue surface, things are a little different. How do we know whether TissuePatch will perform the same way after three years as it does on day 1? How do we know its active chemistry doesn't deteriorate in the packaging? How do we know under what storage conditions the product needs to be held in order to preserve its function? The answer is really quite simple....we test it, we store it for the requisite time under conditions we expect to be desirable and attainable, and then we test it again....not just one sample, but literally hundreds. What parameters do we test? Every parameter that impacts performance, so dry tensile strength, wet tensile strength, handling, quantitative adhesion, packaging integrity and so on. The good news is that the product has never failed these tests in our hands....which is how we were able to increase shelf life to three years in ambient(25 degC) conditions from the original one year in the fridge. Occasionally we will test product returned from the field, and (has been demonstrated this week in fact) we are always gratified that the performance is sustained. It may not improve like a fine wine, and different vintages are not likely to differ to any meaningful degree, so don't expect us to be able to tell you which year represented the best vintage.
Tissuemed at Thoracic VATS course - posted: Thursday, 24th February 2011
For the last two days Tissuemed has been exhibiting at this year's Video Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS) course held in Leeds. The event, hosted by the Thoracic Surgery department at St James's Hospital Leeds is an annual event and featured international speakers from USA and Europe. For Tissuemed Anne Kavanagh stated; "This is another excellent showcase for TissuePatchThoracic and our new VATS delivery instrumentation. There is no doubt that our adhesive sealant film for surgeons to use in resolution of surgical air leaks gaining popularity rapidly as the community becomes increasingly familiar with it." Tissuemed, being based in Leeds is delighted to have been involved in the event.
Tissuemed appoints Middle East Sales Manager - posted: Wednesday, 23rd February 2011
Tissuemed has appointed Amir Naeimi to be responsible for recruiting, appointing and supporting distributors in the Middle East. 
Amir has been distributing TissuePatch products in Iran for some time and is therefore perfectly qualified to extend his role to that of managing the company's commercialisation activities across the region. In addition to Iran, Tissuemed is already represented in UAE and Saudi and is actively seeking new distributors capable of supporting the specialities of Thoracic, Neuro and General Surgery in other Middle Eastern territories. For the company Nick Woods (CEO) states; "I've known Amir for a long time and our relationship has always been based on trust and friendship. I have absolute confidence that he will manage our activities extremely positively and especially that any new distributors can expect great service and support from him."
If you represent a distributor in the Middle East and would like to become involved in the Tissuemed success story please contact the company by email and Amir will contact you. If you are a surgeon and would like further information about the company and its products please click here and we will respond as soon as possible.
Surgical Sealants: Is there a cohesive strategy?12 years on - posted: Tuesday, 22nd February 2011
Re-reading Mary Stuart's article in Start-up June 1999 (Windhover Publishing) should be a slightly painful exercise for anyone who's been involved in the development or marketing of Surgical Sealant technologies over the past dozen years. What was true then is pretty much true now and surgical sealants feel about as mature a market sector now as they did then too. In fact the article states that "it took eight years for surgical staples to penetrate the market", implying that surgical sealants might follow a similar path (12 years ago!) and that "focus groups with these docs can be misleading: They will agree that there is a general need for the technology, but if you ask them whether or not they would use it , they say "I don't get bleeding" or " I don't get adhesion" (probably also "I don't get air/CSF/pick your medium) leaks." We never hear those words these days do we? So what do we conclude? Well, firstly it's not all bad is it?... a $1Bn global market is hardly a story of failure... but there are still so many cases where we (the industry) believe there are economic and outcome-related benefits of using our product, but where it isn't used, that we can't call it an unmitigated marketing success story. So where's the marketing gap and how do we explain the relatively slow uptake compared with even staples? We'll leave you to ponder that and maybe even propose a few explanations in the days to come. Tissuemed is a new entrant into the market with a revolutionary product offering in the form of TissuePatch synthetic absorbable bioadhesive films..."sealants" is all we do, so we should at least have a vision of the future which involves communicating the benefits to people we believe will benefit.
Tissuemed seeking Thoracic sites for collaboration - posted: Monday, 21st February 2011
Can it ever be economically justifiable to treat resection sites prophylactically during surgery, with air leak prevention measures? It's not a difficult algorithm to establish, but it appears never to have been done in a way that completely provides the answer, nor helps when assessing when to seal and when to leave. It's perhaps not surprising therefore that surgical practice is so highly variable; some surgeons seal routinely, others seal when they find an air leak, others seal in specific procedure types and of course some never adopt a sealant methodology at all. What seems plainly to be the case from experience of observing the practice of many centres is that duration of patient stay is usually directly linked to removal of drains, which is in turn usually directly linked to existence of air leaks. Yet in post marketing surveillance studies commissioned by Tissuemed it seems that other factors are at play. Even when patients were declared air-leak free they still regularly remained in hospital for days thereafter, despite the fact that air leaks are identified as the principle reason for continued hospitalisation. So what's occurring here? We'd like to know and in order to find out we are looking for thoracic centres in UK or Eu, with whom we can work to uncover the real-world economics concerning reduction of post-operative air leaks and optimisation of the post-operative treatment algorithm. If you are a clinician or nurse working in such a centre and would like to be involved in this project please email Tissuemed here and we will make contact.
Tissuemed's Management Team - posted: Friday, 18th February 2011
Tissuemed's operations are based in Leeds, UK from where it operates all aspects of the company. The site is a prime example of the ingenuity of a small, technology-driven operation, accommodating R&D, polymer synthesis, surgical sealant film production and customer service all from the same location. Pictured here is Tissuemed's on-site senior management team comprising Nick Woods(CEO), David Mandley(Director of QA, RA and Clinical Affairs) and Ian Thompson(R&D/Operations Manager).
Images of Tissuemed - posted: Friday, 18th February 2011
During Tissuemed's recent photoshoot we came up with one or two slightly strange ideas, including this one. 
What's depicted is the inspection process for the printing screen used to imprint a logo within the TissuePatch product..... well actually it's not, it's just a graphically interesting image which we like and hope you will too. For surgeons, think of it as a reminder that the logo is there to ensure right-side down placement on target tissue in order to effect a good attachment to the tissue surface.
Tissuemed's board: biographies updated - posted: Wednesday, 16th February 2011
Click here to be directed to Tissuemed's investor page including details of the company's board of directors.
Surgical Sealant Films: New applications sought - posted: Tuesday, 15th February 2011
Tissuemed's ultra fine synthetic absorbable self-adhesive films are proving their worth in surgical indications for which their benefit is obvious. These include reduction of air leak potential in lung surgery and avoidance of CSF leakage following Neuro/spinal surgery. Just like the early days of fibrin glues however, we believe there exist a host of other indications where judicious application of a self-adhesive film would provide operator/patient/economic benefit. Remembering that Tissuemed's regulatory approval for its TissuePatch3 product extends to reduction of low level oozing bleeds, this suggests that the product could be really useful in any form of surgery where a "bed" is left following a resection or dissection. This may include liver surgery or even selected cholecystectomy cases. We know for example that it provides excellent utility in thyroid surgery and as a company are keen to collect data on this as well as other indications. If you are a surgeon with ideas or applications in which you are finding TissuePatch useful please tell us by emailing us here . We'd love to share your experience on this site.
Tissuemed at the 2011 AANS meeting - posted: Monday, 14th February 2011
Tissuemed are pleased to announce that Dr Paolo Ferroli from the Carlo Besta Institute, Milan will be presenting findings from a series of patients treated with TissuePatchDural during microvascular decompression surgery. The paper entitled 'Avoidance of CSF Leak after Microvascular Decompression with Clinical Use of a New Synthetic Adhesive Film' has been selected for e-poster presentation at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) in Denver, Colorado 9-13th April. For further information regarding this conference go to http://www.aans.org/ More news to follow........
Once, twice, three times a sealant - posted: Friday, 11th February 2011
It happens all too frequently that surgeons take a little time to get used to a new product, especially when it's something as "different" as TissuePatch. First we need go through the first batch of fairly simple questions...which way up do I put it?(keep the logo readable)...how long do I hold it on for?(min 30 seconds)....do I need to soak it first? (No, definitely not)....Is there some backing I need to peel off?(again no). More significantly though are those subtle technique nuances that make or break the performance. A surgeon said to us this week that "surgeons need to find their own way with it" and we agree with that to a significant extent. The difference between success and failure to adhere to target tissue can be so subtle that we're often left scratching our heads because the surgeon appeared to do everything right. A recent case proves the point that it's a learned skill; A surgeon new to the product was using it in a neuro/spinal indication and was unimpressed with its adhesion after first use, mildly impressed after second use and very impressed after third use, despite there being not that much to choose between technique on application 1 vs application 3. It's subtle and we can help provide guidance, so our customers and new customers are invited to ask us...after all we've experience of thousands of cases across many specialities. The message is to persevere, because with experience the results can be remarkable.
Can TissuePatch really do that? - posted: Thursday, 10th February 2011
This photo was taken in Tissuemed's lab and was a result of one of those end-of-session moments when we get to explore a few boundaries in a less formal setting. On this occasion we decided to see just how strong our ultra thin self-adhesive film was when used to support an incised tissue surface. The pig lung in question was from our local abbattoir and arrived with this fairly typical "nasty gash" right across it and at least 5cm into the body of the lung tissue. We dried the lung surface and applied a 5 x 10cm patch, holding in place for roughly 30 seconds before taking this shot. What it demonstrates is the incredible shear force the product could withstand, showing good tissue apposition and zero gapping. If this degree of adhesion could be sustained it could open the door for TissuePatch products to be used in supporting suture closure of friable tissues or where the surgeon has concerns about his closure.
Thoracic Surgeons want more.... - posted: Thursday, 10th February 2011
Earlier this year we reported on feedback received from surgeons using TissuePatchThoracic. As well as the positive experiences being reported we've also noticed that everyone who provides feedback has indicated that they will use the product again! Read more about the product here.
Video-assisted Thoracic Surgery: Air leaks remain significant factor - posted: Wednesday, 9th February 2011
Published in the most recent edition of the European Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery 39 (2011)173-179 is an outcome analysis following 165 patients treated for major pulmonary resection using VATS technique. The study, performed in Southampton General Hospital's Cardiovascular and Thoracic Unit concludes that these cases can be performed safely and should be considered as a first choice for certain (T1-2, NO-1 and MO) lesions despite resistance from hospital administration. Interestingly the last line of the paper concludes that air leaks remain the most important cause of prolonged hospital stay. TissuePatchThoracic from Tissuemed is a synthetic self-adhesive film developed for use in open and VATS surgery. The company believes that VATS cases performed as described in this paper, would benefit from use of this sealing technique. Clinical experience gained to date suggests that drain insertion times and patient stay in hospital can be shortened, making the use of this adhesive film over resection staple lines a viable option from the perspective of surgical outcome, patient benefit and economic grounds.
Tissuemed Surgical Sealant Technology: New Video - posted: Tuesday, 8th February 2011
Tissuemed has released its new corporate video in which it tells the story behind its technology and explains how the company turned a chemical concept into a product in daily use by surgeons the world over. Filmed at Tissuemed's Leeds headquarters, most of the content relates to the development of synthetic polymers for use in surgical sealant films, all of which are manufactured in the company's on site Class 10,000 cleanroom facility. The video is posted on Tissuemed's homepage as well as on youtube and is available for Tissuemed distributors on DVD by request.
Dural sealing: MRI supports TissuePatchDural - posted: Tuesday, 8th February 2011
Surgeons at Besta Institute in Milan have reported to Tissuemed their results when using MRI to assess post-operative Cerebrospinal fluid leaks following surgery. Most significant is their finding, reported by Dr Paolo Ferroli as follows; "Since we started to close native dura and reinforce the closure with TissuePatchDural it has been absolutely impossible to see any difference in imaging between patients with T-dural overlying dura or without (the adherence is perfect so t-dural is fused with dura)." From Tissuemed's perspective it is gratifying to receive detailed and positive customer feedback, especially when it supports the preclinical findings. The conclusion from the evidence collected to date is that the patch remains adherent to the dural surface throughout the post-operative period, gradually degrading in situ.
Surgical Sealants: (Why) must they be liquids? - posted: Friday, 4th February 2011
The simple answer is that there is no God-given reason why a product used to seal a hole or a diffusely oozing surface must be a liquid. Plenty of history and ingrained practice, but in practicality there are few places where being able to squirt a liquid trumps the idea of applying a surgical sealant in film form. In fact there are many good reasons why for some indications a liquid may be the worst option; Liquids have a habit of migrating, are difficult to apply to a defined and limited area, are difficult to apply in the appropriate and homogeneous quantity, have questionable duration of effect, are often expensive and require preparation in advance of the time when they will be actually needed. Of course they do have some favourable characteristics. A liquid will flow into complex surface anatomy for instance and if it polymerises there will act like a filler, increased surface area contact acting as an anchor for the block of what is at this stage a solid glue. But is it always a good idea for a sealant to sit between the wound edges we'd really like to see healing together? So consider for a minute the idea of converting this liquid into a film. What would the ideal sealant look like if converted to a film?......and how would it perform compared with its liquid counterpart. Well for a start it would not flow into interstices, but being a (comparatively)stronger material would provide more tissue support. Secondly, without the need to polymerise in situ it could use more of that polymerising capacity to lock it to the tissue surface (energy of adhesion from TissuePatch always outperforms liquid comparators). Thirdly it would require no preparation. Fourthly it would go exactly where the surgeon put it. So here's the challenge to surgeons across specialities.....break out of the preconception that a sealant really must be a liquid. Seven years of research and three years of surgical experience have told us a sealant in film form can be a real world alternative. At Tissuemed we believe we're offering the "Star Trek" solution......TissuePatch is a sealant Jim, but not as you know it.
Tissuemed in Arab Press - posted: Thursday, 3rd February 2011
Following the release of its post-Arab Health Press release Tissuemed has again attracted media attention as shown in this article featured in AMEInfo, the Middle East's premier online business resource.
When is a Technologist an Operations Manager? - posted: Wednesday, 2nd February 2011
Tissuemed's recent efforts to recruit an Operations Technologist have raised an interesting question...."What's one of those?" Applicants or those enquiring about the position probably need to have the role clarified. The company is seeking someone with polymer chemistry and operations experience with a view to this person being the go-to individual in manufacturing operations when it comes to technical queries. Additionally this person will be expected to be heavily involved in the development of new patch iterations at the level of translating them from lab to manufacturing. Tissuemed is a small company, but punches well above its weight in many regards, having on site manufacturing activities extending to synthesis of its own adhesive polymers and casting of final films. As such it is possible to envisage a need for this cross-over role between product development and control over key elements of manufacturing operations. If you would like to apply for the position or would simply like further information, please contact Ian Thompson.
Tissuemed at Arab Health: Press release - posted: Wednesday, 2nd February 2011
Tissuemed was represented at Arab Health this year and has issued a press release detailing the success at the show. See Tissuemed @ Arab Health. The company continues to seek distributors for its three main product groups targeted at general, neuro and thoracic surgery across the Middle East. Candidates are invited to email Tissuemed at
Tissuemed's Technical Bulletins - posted: Tuesday, 1st February 2011
Buried in the depths of Tissuemed's website, under the tab "clinicals" can be found not only a significant number of clinical case studies and publications, but also a series of white papers containing technical details about the company's capabilities. The list of bulletins can be found here and is as follows: Tensile and Burst Performance in vitro vs duraseal A Review of Constituent Materials Technology Focus TissuePatch3 performs better at 37 vs 20
New TissuePatch3 brochure now available - posted: Friday, 28th January 2011
First announced last week and already available in pdf form on Tissuemed's website, the company has today received inventory of its new TissuePatch3 brochure. Tissuemed customers and distributors are invited to request printed brochures directly by emailing Denise Rymer.
TissuePatch constituents: use in other medical applications - posted: Thursday, 27th January 2011
Tissuemed often refers to its patches as being made using materials which are in common medical use. So what are those materials? Look here to find the "Review of Constituent Materials", which provides an overview of the three basic components and their applications in medicine. The components are Poly(lactide-co-glycolide), Tissuemed's proprietary adhesive polymer (Tissuebond) and Methylene blue dye to impart a logo in the product.
Tissuemed at Arab Health: Press release - posted: Wednesday, 26th January 2011
Tissuemed products are on display at Arab Health. The company has issued a press release which has been used in several online publications including Arab Health online
Sealing tissues with TissuePatch: Planning and Visual Success Cues - posted: Tuesday, 25th January 2011
Surgeons frequently find TissuePatch to have a learning curve. They may have problems until they get thoroughly used to the product, and may struggle with their first application. At Tissuemed we have described before how there is a “goldilocks zone” where the circumstances are “just right” for application. In particular we tell surgeons not to “fanny around” once the patch is on the tissue...yet without testing for adherence, how do you know your TissuePatch is securely in position? After all the very act of probing and testing for adhesion can actually hinder that adhesion...so how do you know when it’s “on” and you can leave it alone. Here are a few simple take-home messages from our experience. Application... success predictors
- Have the patch close to the action...so it can be applied quickly post-swabbing, before the site becomes wet.
- If you need to cut to size, do so before application using either the packaging or some other material as a template. Cutting in situ post application can disrupt adhesion.
- Be patient and have faith. Don’t worry if it looks like it’s not going to work at first...if applied correctly it will! Hold the swab in place over the patch as steadily as possible and wait for about a minute....longer if required.
- Signs of fluid beneath the patch before it is properly applied to the tissue are not the end of the world. Applying a swab with gentle but positive downward pressure will force fluid out from under the patch, so don’t delay getting the swab in place over the patch, especially in wet sites
- Never use suction close to the patch because you may either damage the patch itself or disrupt its adhesion.
- Liquid beneath the patch post application is usually a bad sign... if it’s anywhere other than around the very periphery of the patch, you may not have enough adhesion to the tissues. Remove patch, attempt more thorough drying and apply another.
- Patch should look wrinkled and conforming to tissue surface with an almost skin-like appearance and no visible blisters or tears. If it looks like this you’ve done it. If it doesn’t, consider either a further application of swab for a further minute...or (more likely)abort and try a fresh patch.
Location shoot at Tissuemed - posted: Monday, 24th January 2011
Tissuemed's R&D labs are at the heart of the company and a hotbed of innovation, having been the source of the company's ground breaking bioadhesive polymer technology. So the company is showing off a little by inviting professional photographer Monty Rakusen to come in and spend a day shooting what will be a series of stunning shots. 
Be sure to watch the site over the next few weeks as we start to put his fantastic work to good use.
TissuePatchDural publications: full text - posted: Friday, 21st January 2011
As promised yesterday find attached the full text of the Italian papers relating to TissuePatchDural. One relates to its use in securing fluid tight closure of the posterior fossa, while the other is a study over 28 cases during which the product was used in attaining fluid tight closure during transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenomas. The pdfs can be found as follows: Dural Reconstruction in Surgery of the Posterior Cranial Fossa and Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea: Preventive Strategy in Transnasal-Sphenoidal Surgery.
Are you following Tissuemed on Twitter? - posted: Friday, 21st January 2011
The usual response is "no".....or even "what's twitter?" or "I don't know how" or some expletives about social networking. The fact however remains that if Tissuemed wants to keep its world updated with news, views, happenings, guidance, information and probably other things we haven't considered yet, Twitter is a superb communications vehicle. The company is committed to continuing to keep its world fully aware of the brilliant progress its technology is making towards helping surgeons perform their procedures more easily, with better outcomes and a large dose of economic benefit (leaks cost money!)....so follow Tissuemed and let us know what you think about our products, our information sharing efforts, our company.
Two Italian TissuePatchDural papers - posted: Thursday, 20th January 2011
Two papers were presented at the Italian Neurosurgical congress (SINCH) in late 2010 relating to the use of TissuePatchdural. One involved use in the posterior cranial fossa and the other in transnasal-sphenoidal surgery. The papers are currently being translated, but they conclude as follows: "In view of our experience, we maintain that the use of the TissuePatchDural can constitute a valid aid, among the heterologous components used in the reconstruction of the dural layer capable of preventing the appearance of a cerebrospinal fluid leak" and in the second paper "We feel that this technique can always be proposed, not only in cases of intraoperative cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhoea, but also, and especially, for the systematic purpose of prevention. We are currently using it routinely in the final reconstruction phase." Full translations will be posted tomorrow.
The experience curve;when does TissuePatch really click with its target audience? - posted: Wednesday, 19th January 2011
How many times do surgeons need to use TissuePatch before they get the best from the product? The answer, according to a retrospective look at evaluation-to-order patterns is somewhere between 5 and 6. What's amazing is that surgeons score the product highly on feedback forms even on first use (87.5% good or excellent effectiveness), when mistakes are most likely and the learning curve steepest. It's true that the learning curve isn't exactly neck-snappingly steep...this is an intuitive product that simply requires opening, applying and holding against tissue surfaces for a minimum of 30 seconds to work, but there is no doubt that something happens around case number 5, at which time surgeons suddenly recognise that the product has become a routine option. So the message..for surgeons and indeed sales people alike is (apologies for this)...stick with it!
Polymer Scientist Sought: Tissuemed Operations Technologist role - posted: Tuesday, 18th January 2011
As first advertised in December, Leeds-based surgical sealant film manufacturer Tissuemed Ltd is looking to recruit a polymer scientist to work across its R and D and manufacturing operations. The primary focus of this role is to act as a technical resource within the Operations Group by providing technical/scientific input across all aspects of polymer and film production. The suitable candidate will ideally possess a relevant PhD or have graduate level qualification with appropriate industrial experience. This is a senior position and further details can be provided by Ian Thompson
Tissuemed's new brochure repositions TissuePatch3 - posted: Tuesday, 18th January 2011
With the advent of TissuePatchThoracic, optimised to address air leaks in lung surgery, TissuePatch3 has now been repositioned by Tissuemed as its general surgical sealant film for application wherever leakage from suture lines and oozing tissues is undesirable. Tissuemed has long been of the view that while certain specialities such as thoracic surgery cry out for an effective sealant, there are many more occasions when the surgical site could be rendered more secure by using an adhesive film over the surface. One example is liver surgery, where surgeons are often faced with diffuse oozing from a tissue surface. The new TissuePatch3 brochure features a picture of the product set against a background of routinely used surgical tools, reinforcing the message that the product is an essential component in today's general surgical armoury.
Tissuemed background IP: TissuePatch2 Patent Granted - posted: Tuesday, 18th January 2011
Tissuemed has announced that a key patent has now been formally granted 9 months after its original posting. The patent relates to TissuePatch2, which is considered background intellectual property and covers fundamental elements of the company’s adhesive Terpolymer technology. As Nick woods, Tissuemed's CEO stated when the original grant was made; “Tissuemed has always had a policy of robustly protecting its technology and it is always gratifying to receive these notifications as they confirm the claim that what we have is a novel and unique proposition.”
Video Assisted Thoracic Surgery technique using TissuePatch - posted: Friday, 14th January 2011
Tissuemed has updated its website with revised and updated technical guidance on the use of TissuePatchThoracic to avoid intraoperative air leaks in Video Assisted cases. The new guidance document provides improved visualisation of the loading of the patch into the delivery tube, so is a useful reference document for surgeons and nurses alike. The pdf can be found on this page.
TissuePatchDural in Middle East - posted: Thursday, 13th January 2011
TissuePatchDural is proving successful in several Middle Eastern markets and Tissuemed's Saudi Arabian distributor has recently placed this advertisement PAN ARAB TISSUEMED in the Pan-Arab journal of Neurosurgery. TissuePatch products will be shown at this year's Arab health exhibition in Dubai later in January on booth number PC05.
New clinical case reports on Tissuemed site - posted: Wednesday, 12th January 2011
Tissuemed has updated its clinical case study page with two new reports. Both refer to its TissuePatchDural product and relate to closure of the dura following colloid cyst removal and also following excision of a lumbar intradural tumour. Case studies and clinical publications can be viewed here.
Have you ever wondered......? No neither had we - posted: Tuesday, 11th January 2011
Tissuemed spends its life explaining to the world of surgery just what its proposition is....think of it as a liquid sealant that has been presented in solid form, thereby avoiding the pitfalls of applying liquids...migration, controllability, preparation time to name a few. But spinning this around, what would TissuePatch look like if it was turned into a liquid? How much would it represent compared with one of the traditional liquid sealants? Why is this in any way important? Because in theory if a job can be done with a smaller foreign body, with improved efficacy and ease of use, then it should at least be considered. The pdf attached here makes it pretty clear that the coverage provided by "a droplet" of TissuePatch would require a syringe full of liquid sealant if it is assumed that the liquid will be laid down to a depth of 2mm, which in our experience is the minimum likely to be applied in most settings. So when characterising the body's reaction to foreign material, while it's important to look at the constituents of the implant, it is logical that the sheer volume implanted is also a key consideration....reducing the amount of a material that will be removed by macrophagic activity must improve the body's ability to deal with the foreign body. Less is more, as they say.
Tissuemed reducing use of solvents as part of environmental initiative - posted: Monday, 10th January 2011
The manufacture and purification of Tissuemed’s adhesive polymers and film products has traditionally relied on the use of a significant quantity of flammable solvents. Solvents are excellent for purification purposes but they present handling and storage challenges and are not particularly environmentally friendly. As part of the scale-up of its manufacturing, Tissuemed is continually striving to switch to more environmentally friendly processes and is making significant progress. Specifically:
- Implementation of a water-based purification process for polymer manufacture will reduce solvent usage by 2000 L/yr.
- Ongoing work to minimise the use of solvents for film casting processes
- Continual research into and adoption of environmentally friendly low solvent alternatives.
- Carbon capture of solvent fumes rather than venting into the environment.
- Recycling of waste materials and minimising electricity consumption used during manufacturing processes.
- The company has the longer term goal of achieving ISO14001 Environmental Management accreditation
Tissuebond adopted as brand name for Tissuemed's adhesive biomaterial technology - posted: Friday, 7th January 2011
Tissuemed has started using
as the brand descriptor for its platform adhesive terpolymer technology. The company believes Tissuebond reflects the key characteristic of its biomaterial, which is to bond covalently to amine groups on the surface of tissues being treated by surgeons. Tissuemed is determinedly seeking to apply its technology to devices which would be usefully rendered self adhesive. This may extend to meshes, films, electrodes and surgically implanted devices where temporary or sustained adhesion to a tissue or bone surface is desirable.
More surgeons using TissuePatchThoracic - posted: Thursday, 6th January 2011
Building on its early success with its lung sealant film, Tissuemed has announced that two further UK hospitals have started ordering TissuePatchThoracic in the last few weeks, following successful evaluations of the product. For Tissuemed, Anne Kavanagh stated; "The most common response among the surgical community when they are first shown the sealant film is that "I've tried all the products available (typically liquid glues/sealants) for resolving air leaks and nothing works satisfactorily." For this reason a significant proportion of surgeons choose to adopt ever more judicious placement of sutures and pledgets rather than relying on a sealant with questionable efficacy. Two things are clear however; firstly there are cases where judicious surgical technique alone isn't enough....diffuse air leaks and raw areas for instance. Secondly, in TissuePatchThoracic there is now a virtually instant method of providing a seal that will be sustained through the post operative course."
Surgery of the future.... TissuePatch will become adopted into routine use like a suture - posted: Wednesday, 5th January 2011
I’m not an avid reader of business books, but I’m more than a little aware of the work that has taken place over the years trying to understand how we humans adopt new technologies into our lives. To me, Rodgers’ diffusion of innovation work explains elegantly and logically why it takes so long for new ideas to find their way into mainstream use. As the team responsible for telling the world about TissuePatch and how it can revolutionise surgical practices, we may scratch our heads about why people aren’t falling over themselves to adopt our solution to their problems. Sure we are gaining what I believe is called “traction” at quite a pace as more and more people recognise that for instance in lung surgery it’s a good idea to save patients from suffering post operative prolonged air leaks. But can we expect the technological solution we offer with our self-adhesive surgical “cling-film” to diffuse its way into other procedures on its own? Of course not. And indeed driving diffusion of a disruptive technology is only so possible. So what to do? It’s probably explained best by combining the business theory with Gladwell’s book “Outliers” in which it seems we'll need 10000 hours in the grinder before we make it. Work hard, keep trying to understand the demands of the product and bang away for 10000hours doing all of the above while shouting about our wonderful technological advancement from the rooftops and we’ll get there. After all, who was using staples and glues twenty five years ago?
Latest User Feedback - TissuePatchThoracic - posted: Wednesday, 5th January 2011
Tissuemed is pleased to publish the latest feedback from thoracic surgeons who are using TissuePatchThoracic as part of their management of intra- and post-operative air leaks.
Following the launch of TissuePatchThoracic at the EACTS congress in Geneva in September 2010, the product has been used by an increasing number of surgeons in both open and minimally invasive procedures, with clinicians taking advantage of Tissuemed's VATS Delivery System.
For Tissuemed, David Mandley, Director responsible for Clinical Affairs commented, "Feedback from surgeons using Tissuemed's surgical sealant films is invaluable and provides important information supporting our post market surveillance activities. This latest feedback in the period for the first three months since launch is extremely encouraging, and supports our claim that the product is an effective and easy to use adjunct for air leak management in patients undergoing open and minimally invasive thoracic surgery. We appreciate our customers reporting their experiences and I look forward to continuing to share this information with the community".Case study: Use of TissuePatchDural in ENT Surgery - posted: Thursday, 23rd December 2010
CS6101 Use of TissuePatchDural™ to repair a Posterior semicircular canal perilymph fistula is a clinical case in which TissuePatchDural was used to secure a temporalis fascia graft during closure of an iatrogenic bony fistula in the Posterior semicircular canal. The authors, reporting from The Leicester Balance Centre note that this is new application for TissuePatchDural as a sealant over a fascial graft in ENT surgery. At follow up complete resolution of pressure-induced vertigo from the perilymph fistula was observed, with no relapse of symptoms when followed up 7 months after surgery. No hearing loss or worsening of balance was noted and there were no signs of ototoxicity when this synthetic material was applied to an opened labyrinth.
Christmas coming a little earlier at Tissuemed - posted: Thursday, 23rd December 2010
Tissuemed offices will now be closed from end of the day on Thursday 23rd December and will reopen on Tuesday 4th January 2011. We would like to thank all our customers for playing their part in making 2010 a fantastic year for Tissuemed. Merry Christmas from all the staff.
Get the best from TissuePatch by finding the Goldilocks zone - posted: Tuesday, 21st December 2010
It’s hard to think of a surgical product in which the technique of use doesn’t have a bearing on the successful function outcome. Whether it’s a joint replacement, a heart valve, or even a suture, getting the best from the product demands a degree of learning in order to optimise performance. In all cases there are hints and tips, proudly presented as each individual practitioner’s “way I do it”. TissuePatch is no different. Despite the fact that most people score it 4 or 5 out of 5 for both ease of use and effectiveness on even their first use, experience tells us that recognition of the variables and adapting of technique is all important. So what are these variables and how can the surgeon adapt his technique to them to achieve the best outcome? Handling: Keep the product dry and handle as little as possible before presenting it correct side down to the tissue surface...if you can read the logo it’s the right side down. Wetness of tissue surface: Too wet is too bad...the product’s chemistry will activate onto the fluid and not the underlying tissue surface. Subsequent drying and reapplication of the same patch will not work. Too dry is less of a problem, despite the fact that some moisture is required to kick start the bonding process. So the guidance is to get a feel for what looks right. Repositioning: If it’s on, it’s on. Limited repositioning is possible if only partial and short term contact has occurred, but if the patch is largely “on”, then repositioning will not get a good result. Remember the product works by the action of its chemical interaction with proteins on the tissue surface. Once the chemisty has been activated, it won’t be available for subsequent reactivation. Holding time to tissue surface: This is likely to be a minimum of 30 seconds....some surgeons prefer a minute and indeed some more challenging tissue surfaces demand this. If in doubt, leave it a minute, but once it’s on the tissue don’t “test” it too rigorously or its bonding action could be disrupted. Get used to the idea of leaving it and trusting it. Wet swab or dry swab to hold patch in place? Damp seems to encourage softening of patch more quickly with associated conformance to tissue surface. What about VATS cases, where tissue is quite dry and swab cannot be applied? There is no doubt this is the toughest challenge for the patch...the tissue surface is usually very uneven, with a ridge of staples and the lung deflated (vs three quarter inflated for open cases). It’s very difficult to apply firm and stable pressure to the entire area, so surgeons naturally try to use point pressure using “peanuts”. This seems to be the only practical solution, but generates two potential problems. Firstly the patch is rarely held still across its contact area, which may compromise the formation of the microscopic bonds we know hold it to the proteins on the tissue surface. Secondly it’s tempting, especially when a quick fixation is not achieved, to keep trying. There is a point at which continued “fiddling” will not improve the result, so the advice is to learn when to stop. Note, these are not official recommendations and don’t appear in Instructions for Use. They are a few thought provokers from our experience of observing surgeons at work.
Does size matter? If you want to minimise the foreign body response, minimise the foreign body - posted: Friday, 17th December 2010
The response of bodily tissue to the presence of a foreign body is well understood, with publications too numerous to cite here. Macrophage response culminating in fibroblastic remodelling and subsequent angiogenesis describes in a few words what is a complex cascade in the body’s response to breach of its defences or implantation of a foreign body. A recent publication summarises well the events commonly associated with implantation of synthetic biomaterials. The paper’s abstract starts with the assertion that “The foreign body reaction composed of macrophages and foreign body giant cells is the end-stage response of the inflammatory and wound healing responses following implantation of a medical device, prosthesis, or biomaterial”, which reflects the consensus from the biomaterials community. Also frequently referred to are surface properties of foreign bodies, for which there is again a consensus that the reaction of the body to a foreign material is related to its surface texture. What seems to be less well published is the dependency between size/bulk of implant and extent of response, but this is most likely to be because it’s obvious that the greater the implant the greater and more prolonged the response. Tissuemed’s assertion is that a foreign body implanted for a purpose should be as small as possible in order for it to perform its function. Comparing a 40micron patch with a polymerising liquid glue (the manufacturer of whom is likely to recommend that up to 2mm depth may be required), it can be concluded that an area of 5cm x 5cm will require 5ml of “foreign body” compared with the equivalent 0.1ml of patch. If both materials work and both provoke the same FB reaction per se, then presumably the lower bulk device has the upper hand.
TissuePatchThoracic is cost-effective in reducing air leaks in lung surgery - posted: Thursday, 16th December 2010
In these days of financial constraint it is increasingly evident that the old adage of "spend to save" is under threat because budget holders don't like the "spend" component. Air leaks in lung surgery have been an occupational hazard since this kind of surgery was first performed, but it is undoubtedly the case that in recent years they have become significantly higher profile. This is because treatment options have increased and improved, air leak monitoring has improved, patient outcomes have been the focus of greater attention and healthcare providers have become increasingly focused on finding the true costs associated with certain procedures. In this short business case we consider Cost of Air Leaks and conclude that in the published literature there is evidence of greater than 10% prolonged air leaks, that the cost can be quantified, that the likelihood of prolonged air leak can be predicted, that air leaks can be reduced by using sealants and finally that by targeted application of sealants such as TissuePatchThoracic there is a sound economic basis for its use.
Tissuemed seeking to recruit Operations Technologist - posted: Wednesday, 15th December 2010
As part of its strategy for growth, Leeds-based surgical sealant film manufacturer Tissuemed Ltd is looking to recruit a qualified person to form the link between its R and D work and its manufacturing operations. The primary focus of this role is to act as a technical resource within the Operations Group by providing technical/scientific input across all aspects of polymer and film production. The suitable candidate will possess a relevant PhD or have graduate level qualification with subsequent industrial experience. Further details can be provided by Ian Thompson
Tissuemed in Clinica online today - posted: Wednesday, 15th December 2010
Nick Woods has been interviewed by Clinica online for their "5 minutes with..." feature. In the interview Nick was asked to speculate about the future of surgical sealant film technology. Also he discussed the challenge of gaining adoption of a new technology in surgical use. This is especially relevant for Tissuemed as it sees increasing use of its TissuePatchThoracic product in sealing of air leaks routinely encountered during lung surgery. Nick hints at future applications for the technology, which include intestinal sealing, seroma reduction, wound closure and delivery of active agents such as antibiotics to surgical sites. The company is keen to work with other entities whose products may benefit from being rendered adhesive in a surgical setting. Details can be found here. The article can be accessed by clicking here.
Ordering from Tissuemed over the Christmas period - posted: Monday, 13th December 2010
Tissuemed offices will be closing on Friday 24th December 2010 and will remain shut until Tuesday 4th January 2011. Orders received into the office during the above time period will not be processed or despatched until after 4th January. Tissuemed will need to receive orders by Tuesday 21st December 2010 to ensure that you receive delivery of product before 24th December 2010.
Is total resolution of all air leaks essential in lung surgery? - posted: Monday, 13th December 2010
It seems from recent feedback from surgeons performing lung surgery that the goal of achieving full resolution of all air leaks is both difficult to attain and practically perhaps not essential. Surveying our customer feedback as expressed in theatre recently it seems that while air leak resolution is of course an ideal, in cases where air leak is widespread the goal of air leak resolution extends as far as enabling reinflation of the lung. Our experience in complex cases such as decortication definitely brings it home that full air leak resolution may be beyond any sealant option, while achieving sustainable reinflation is the most desirable intraoperative goal.
Getting the best performance from TissuePatchThoracic - posted: Monday, 13th December 2010
Case report from last friday has suggested that in open cases product performance is optimised if the lung is 3/4 inflated and gentle pressure applied for up to a minute with a damp swab. It seems that while the original use of a dry swab worked well with TissuePatch3, using a damp swab helps the slightly smoother TissuePatchThoracic to hydrate, soften and comply with the tissue surface.
Storage and date expiry update - posted: Thursday, 11th November 2010
Tissuemed has announced a positive change to the storage conditions required for its products. Following notified body review all products in the TissuePatch range will carry 3 year shelf life with storage conditions between 2degC and 25degC.
Commenting on the change, Tissuemed’s Regulatory Affairs Director David Mandley stated; “This change is good news from a commercial perspective. It means that hospitals can now be less concerned about expiry date and also will find the product more readily to hand when they need it without having to go to the refrigerator. Importantly the changes will be phased in as inventory is utilised, which means that for the time being there will be a mixture of expiry dated product out there. Product should therefore continue to be stored according to the labelling attached to it.”
Medtronic's Mark Fletcher talks about the agreement with Tissuemed - posted: Saturday, 6th November 2010
Product enhancements being phased in across all products - posted: Thursday, 30th September 2010
The introduction of TissuePatchThoracic has had a positive impact on Tissuemed’s other products. The company has made the decision to phase in all of the improvements demonstrated in TissuePatchThoracic across the other product lines. This means that TissuePatch3 and TissuePatchDural will benefit from seeing non refrigerated storage conditions, improved strength and handling and a flatter, less curl-prone product.
Tissuemed CEO Nick Woods comments: “It’s great news for our other products that these minor changes to our manufacturing process have worked so well, but equally important to realise that the changes do not mean existing inventory is not perfectly functional. We will not be offering to change distributor inventory to new stock, nor are we able to say that only new stock will be shipped with immediate effect. Fundamentally the product stays the same, with exactly the same multilaminate structure of the same chemical components... nevertheless the minor change to our casting process has benefited the product, and we’re excited about what surgeons will tell us about this improvement.”
Tissuemed announces Neuro/Spinal distribution agreement with Medtronic - posted: Thursday, 16th September 2010
Pioneering adhesive surgical film manufacturer Tissuemed Ltd (Leeds, UK) has announced that it has entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with Medtronic – one of the largest medical technology companies in the world.
The agreement, which starts from September, gives Medtronic exclusive distribution rights to sell Tissuemed’s neuro and spinal products - a range of ultra thin adhesive films, which adhere to the body’s internal tissues to prevent the leakage of Cerebrospinal Fluid encountered in surgery – in specific countries around the world including most of Europe as well as other major markets.
The product will be marketed as ‘Obex Neurofilm’ and offers global neurosurgeons a pioneering breakthrough solution to prevent cerebrospinal fluid leaks after surgery; reducing the need for extended hospital stay and in worst cases, additional surgery.
Speaking about the partnership Tissuemed’s CEO Nick Woods, said: “It is a superb opportunity for us to have our surgical films marketed by one of the world’s biggest and most respected players in the field. It is also a major endorsement for our pioneering technology, which is already revolutionising surgical procedures worldwide.”
“Going forward working with Medtronic means they can address what is currently a poorly met surgical need with a technology-based solution and we can focus our activities on accelerating the development of new iterations in new surgical disciplines.”
Mark Fletcher, Medtronic President of Medtronic’s Ear Nose and Throat and Neurotechnologies Division, said: “We have been searching for a sealant to fit with our neuro technology and spine business for quite a while and so were delighted to come across Tissuemed. They are a great company with amazing technology.
“What I like about the technology is that it works like a bandage. You just apply pressure for 30 seconds and it works, it’s that simple. We have already shown it to a number of surgeons in the US and their feedback was excellent. In fact many remarked that it was the best product they have seen us come forward with so we are very encouraged and expect it to do incredibly well in the future.”
Over the last few weeks Medtronic’s team of European managers have been at Tissuemed’s head office in Leeds to take part in product training workshops. They will now start selling the product across Europe, with the view to selling it in the US once FDA approval has been granted.
Tissuemed showcases its new dedicated sealant film for reducing air leaks in thoracic surgery. - posted: Tuesday, 7th September 2010
TissuePatchThoracic received rave reviews at the European Association of Cardiothoracic Surgeons (EACTS) congress in Geneva. This was not least because the company presented its Video Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery Delivery instruments at the same time.
For the company David Mandley commented; ”Surgeon response to the new improved patch design and especially the delivery instruments has been very encouraging. There’s no doubt in my mind that being able to apply the patch to staple lines regardless of whether the procedure has been performed minimally invasively or open will significantly increase its appeal.”
Compared with the launch of the original TissuePatch3 product at the corresponding event in 2007 it was striking how much more focus was being applied to air leak reduction. This is undoubtedly due to the increased recognition that air leaks cost money, coupled with a belief that at last the surgeon has a treatment option.
Notified body approval of addition of TissuePatchThoracic to the Tissuemed product range - posted: Friday, 23rd July 2010
Following notified body review, Tissuemed is pleased to announce the approval of a number of changes to the TissuePatch™ product range, including the introduction of a new improved member of the TissuePatch product family specifically designed for thoracic surgeons.
TissuePatchThoracic™ was successfully showcased at this years ESTS meeting in Valladolid, Spain and following regulatory approval of this new product name, Tissuemed looks forward to making this product available to its customers over the course of the next month.
Nick Woods, Tissuemed’s CEO commented, “subtle modifications to the manufacturing process have delivered improved handling characteristics that will enable thoracic surgeons to use TissuePatchThoracic in both open and VATS surgery to prevent air leaks”.
Nick Woods, CEO of Tissuemed, on Youtube... - posted: Thursday, 28th January 2010
Record sales month in December ‘09 - posted: Tuesday, 19th January 2010
To cap off a seventh consecutive quarter of sustained growth Tissuemed recorded its highest ever sales month in December. This included a steadily increasing number of customers in the UK, Tissuemed’s home territory in which the company operates a direct sales team. What is most encouraging for the technology is that the orders are coming from both specialist product areas of Thoracic Surgery and Neuro/Spinal surgery and are a blend of new customer orders and repeat orders from satisfied customers. Tissuemed’s strategy remains to optimise penetration into its existing markets while exploring the potential application for these surgical films in other surgical specialities.
The case for TissuePatch: New Clinical Reports online - posted: Friday, 8th January 2010
As TissuePatch finds its way into daily use, so the clinical world reports on its performance. Tissuemed has added two new case studies to its website. Click here to find all clinical case reports including a Craniectomy case from London’s Charing Cross Hospital and a follow up study including radiology from University Hospital, Bonn.
Tissuemed’s clinical programme extends through three formal clinical sites in Europe and will see peer reviewed papers published in early 2010.
Patents granted - posted: Tuesday, 15th December 2009
Tissuemed has announced that two patents for a key component of its underlying technology have been accepted for grant in Eu and USA. The patents, relating to TissuePatch2 cover fundamental elements of the company’s adhesive Terpolymer technology. A more recent filing relating to TissuePatch3 has now been granted in South Africa.
For the company Nick Woods, CEO states; “Tissuemed has always had a policy of robustly protecting its technology and it is always gratifying to receive these notifications as they confirm the claim that what we have is a novel and unique proposition.”
Experience summaries - posted: Tuesday, 8th December 2009
Tissuemed performs routine diligence work to survey surgical experience relating to use of its products. The company has supplemented this by conducting a review of numerous cases from existing customers. The results provide validation for the company’s claims that use of TissuePatch in its various forms is helping surgeons to do their job, while at the same time offering the potential to provide healthcare economic benefits, in some cases demonstrably reducing patient stay.
For the company David Mandley comments; “It has to be a desirable outcome that our product can actually improve the patient experience to the point where their stay in hospital is minimised. The patient benefit is obvious and the cost saving most welcome. Consequently our clinical work is orientated towards demonstrating not just clinical but associated economic benefit too. These reports are based on short term experience, but the suggestion is there that we can favourably influence many surgical procedures”
Tissuemed confirms sixth consecutive quarter of growth - posted: Wednesday, 11th November 2009
Surgical sealant film manufacturer Tissuemed Ltd (Leeds, UK) has announced that its revenues have grown for the sixth consecutive quarter thanks to raised awareness among surgeons and clinical evidence demonstrating that they are addressing an unmet surgical need.
Over the last year the company has seen significant growth and has reported a 100% growth in sales, compared to the same period last year.
Tissuemed manufactures very fine absorbable films branded ‘TissuePatch’ which adhere to the body’s internal tissues. By using TissuePatch, surgeons can prevent leakage of air, blood or other fluids that traditional stitches may not contain.
Sustained revenue growth may be common among medical device suppliers with a more established track record; however what is striking in Tissuemed’s case is that the company’s sales consist entirely of products which are novel and in some cases demand changes of surgical practice.
Speaking about Tissuemed’s success, CEO Nick Woods said: “TissuePatch products require no preparation, are very easy to use and work within 30 seconds of application.”
“We now have several independent clinical case studies, coupled with ongoing clinical studies in three prestigious Neurosurgical centres across Europe. This clinical evidence helps to demonstrate that we are addressing an unmet need. The avoidance of post- operative complications due to leakage is naturally highly desirable for patients. It also has the potential to reduce costs associated with extended in-patient duration and even more costly reoperations.”
Future growth is expected to come from increasing the number of surgeons using their products; however its applicability across a broader spread of surgical techniques gives the company reason to believe the technology can find its way into a much greater array of procedures.
These areas are being explored through a number of collaboration projects and continued R&D research and it is expected that this growth continues through Quarter 7 and throughout 2010.
Revolutionising surgery worldwide: Surgical adhesive polymer company partners with world leading research centre - posted: Tuesday, 3rd November 2009
Surgical sealant film manufacturer Tissuemed Ltd (Leeds, UK) has announced that its revenues have grown for the sixth consecutive quarter thanks to raised awareness among surgeons and clinical evidence demonstrating that they are addressing an unmet surgical need.
Over the last year the company has seen significant growth and has reported a 100% growth in sales, compared to the same period last year.
Tissuemed manufactures very fine absorbable films branded ‘TissuePatch’ which adhere to the body’s internal tissues. By using TissuePatch, surgeons can prevent leakage of air, blood or other fluids that traditional stitches may not contain.
Sustained revenue growth may be common among medical device suppliers with a more established track record; however what is striking in Tissuemed’s case is that the company’s sales consist entirely of products which are novel and in some cases demand changes of surgical practice.
Speaking about Tissuemed’s success, CEO Nick Woods said: “TissuePatch products require no preparation, are very easy to use and work within 30 seconds of application.”
“We now have several independent clinical case studies, coupled with ongoing clinical studies in three prestigious Neurosurgical centres across Europe. This clinical evidence helps to demonstrate that we are addressing an unmet need. The avoidance of post- operative complications due to leakage is naturally highly desirable for patients. It also has the potential to reduce costs associated with extended in-patient duration and even more costly reoperations.”
Future growth is expected to come from increasing the number of surgeons using their products; however its applicability across a broader spread of surgical techniques gives the company reason to believe the technology can find its way into a much greater array of procedures.
These areas are being explored through a number of collaboration projects and continued R&D research and it is expected that this growth continues through Quarter 7 and throughout 2010.
Synthetic Absorbable Surgical film has potential to provide benefits for patients and budgets - posted: Thursday, 17th September 2009
Pioneering adhesive surgical film manufacturer, Tissuemed Ltd (Leeds, UK) will showcase the unique TissuePatch range at MEDICA 2009 to help raise awareness across the medtech industry and demonstrate how this “breakthrough technology” is revolutionising surgical procedures worldwide.
Launched at the exhibition last year - the largest healthcare technologies trade fair in the world - TissuePatch is the family name for a group of products designed for specific surgical applications. The products are fine absorbable films which adhere to the body’s internal tissues, preventing the leakage of air, blood or other fluids encountered in surgery.
Over the last year the company, has made massive strides in educating surgeons about the benefits of using these films adjunctively to traditional closure methods such as sutures and staples, and as a result the products are now being used in a variety of surgical applications across the globe.
Nick Woods, CEO of Tissuemed, said: “Over the last year we have had excellent feedback from surgeons and TissuePatch is now being used across the world to help seal air leaks in lung surgery and Cerebrospinal fluid leaks in brain and spinal surgery. This year we are coming back to the show to continue to raise awareness, cement some key relationships and also source new partners around the world. We’re receiving more and more feedback suggesting that the product has the potential to reduce complications associated with leaking tissues, thereby reducing patient stay and associated costs. These are healthcare buzzwords and will remain so, which is extremely heartening and only strengthens our belief that this technology has a place in today’s surgical practice.”
TissuePatch is more adherent than surgical glues, is easy to apply, requires no preparation and is effective within 30 seconds of contact.
Its elasticity and conformability also means it works like a surgical ‘cling-film’ and has been optimised to address the very specific demands of different surgical environments and tissue types.
It is also transparent to allow operators to visualise the underlying tissues and if it wasn’t for the logo printed within the multilaminate film, it would be almost invisible once in contact with the body.
MEDICA is the largest medical technologies fair in the world and will be taking place between 18-21 November at the Messe Düsseldorf. Throughout the show Tissuemed will be located on the UK Pavilion, hall 16 stand G10.
Tissuemed Seeks Partners - posted: Wednesday, 6th May 2009
Tissuemed has already brought to market the TissuePatch product family of multilaminate absorbable surgical sealant films. These are a range of thin, synthetic, highly adherent films that act as a barrier to air, blood and other fluids encountered in surgery. More adherent than surgical glues, the films require no preparation and are effective within 30 seconds of contact.
The technology demonstrated in these products has the ability to form the basis for new technologies or iterations of existing products. The Leeds based company is offering other companies the chance to benefit through a technology partnering initiative.
The scheme, under the banner of Tissuemed Adhesive Biomaterials Technology Group, takes the form of a bespoke polymer design, synthesis and manufacturing programme that is open to third parties such as companies whose own medical devices could be enhanced by the incorporation of adhesive characteristics, surfaces or components.
Examples of the types of surgical devices that may benefit from being self-adhesive to internal organs and structures include meshes, sutures and films as well as an array of implantable devices that may currently require physical means of anchoring.
The programme offers companies and surgeons the chance to work with Tissuemed’s team of dedicated scientists to develop bespoke polymer designs and add new functionalities to their own products. It also offers support in a range of other areas including clinical and regulatory, physical and biochemical testing, intellectual property protection and sales and marketing expertise.
Nick Woods, CEO of Tissuemed, comments, “In the same way that surgical staples revolutionised many surgical procedures in the eighties and nineties, we believe surgically effective adhesive compounds have the capability to drive advances in surgery in the foreseeable future."
“Our own TissuePatch product range of very fine adhesive surgical sealant films is a showcase for what can be achieved, but I’m convinced this is only the beginning. Our scientists have worked out how to optimise the bonding of materials to the proteins offered by tissue surfaces, which is a major technological advance in itself. It’s now about exploring the applications for the technology, which is what this initiative is all about.”
“This unique partnering scheme offers a collaborative platform for us to work with specialists in all medical fields to develop a range of products that may become tomorrow’s standard treatments. This is a way of leveraging our technological capability and working with innovative thinkers outside our own group to benefit all parties, not least the patient for whom quicker, more reliable and ultimately more effective treatment is of primary importance.”
To find out more about the Tissuemed Adhesive Biomaterials Technology Group visit www.tissuemedbio.com or email info@tissuemedbio.com
Tissuemed working “Flat-out” in the New Year! - posted: Sunday, 11th January 2009
Tissuemed’s tremendously committed manufacturing people are producing record numbers of TissuePatches in order to meet the growing demand for our products. In a record day for production the team performed the casting operation to produce two thousand patches in one day on Wednesday, January 7th. This far outstrips our previous record.
It’s no understatement to say that this is a fantastic achievement and one which the team should be extremely proud of. The ability to make such large quantities is also a direct consequence of superb work in developing scale-up models in the R&D group over several months.
UK Government minister Gareth Thomas talks to Tissuemed - posted: Tuesday, 16th December 2008
Tissuemed’s booth was very busy throughout Medica with visits from distributors and others interested in the success story.
Here Nick Woods and Werner Glockner are introducing the company and its unique products to UK Government minister Gareth Thomas MP, Minister of State with responsibility for Business, Enterprise and regulatory Reform.
Mr Thomas spent several minutes on the booth and was very interested to see a UK business bringing a new and exciting technology to the healthcare industry.
Tissuemed introduces neurosurgical sales team in UK - posted: Saturday, 22nd November 2008
Sian Storey and Anne Kavanagh have joined Tissuemed in the UK and are already having great success introducing surgeons and nurses to the benefits TissuePatch3 can bring them.
See TissuePatch at Medica, Dusseldorf, 19-22nd November on stand number 16F10-8 in Hall 16
New company logo - posted: Tuesday, 22nd July 2008
Tissuemed’s company logo has been in use for well over a decade and no longer described the company’s core activity as well as feeling a little “long in the tooth”.
As can be seen here the new logo is fresh, visually attractive, consistent with the product brand logos and carries the “strapline” Surgical Sealant Films.
New CEO for Tissuemed - posted: Saturday, 19th July 2008
Nick Woods has been appointed CEO of Tissuemed following David Fortune’s stepping down from the post after ten years. Additionally David Mandley has been appointed to the board of directors.
For more information see Investor relations.
DisPatches Issue 2 - posted: Tuesday, 12th February 2008
Now available in pdf format. DisPatches 2 features updates on new personnel, dates for your diary and a new feature entitled "Questions from the sharp end".
click here to see Issue 2 in PDF format...
Information Campaign - posted: Saturday, 8th December 2007
As the demand for Tissuepatch3 has increased dramatically over the past few months, so has the demand for information about Tissuemed the company, and the on-going product developments surrounding Tissuepatch3 and its usage in air leaks in lung surgery.
Tissuemed's customary pro-active response to the needs of its customers has led to the launch of the DisPatches newsletter, the first edition of which you can read below. Keep checking back as each new edition will be posted on-line here, 'hot off the press'.
click here to see Issue 1 in PDF format...
Marketing Communications Campaign - posted: Wednesday, 14th November 2007
After TissuePatch3’s successful introduction to distributors in so many European markets, Tissuemed is now investing heavily in marketing communications activity intended to raise awareness of the product at end-user level, especially in thoracic applications on the lung, and additional clinical work will support its use in other surgical areas.
Deputy Chairman Nick Woods comments: “We’ve got so much confidence that this is the right product for resolution of air leaks in lung surgery that we’re duty bound to make surgeons in particular aware of its existence. Advertising in the esteemed European Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery puts us firmly in the spotlight and we’re enhancing our presence by also placing banner advertising on the appropriate specialist websites.”
click here to see a PDF Tissuepatch3 Advert
Tissuemed welcomes Distribution Sales Manager - posted: Thursday, 11th October 2007
Werner Glockner has joined Tissuemed, with responsibility for managing all affairs relating to distribution of the company’s products across Europe.
Deputy Chairman Nick Woods comments; “Werner’s appointment is great news for Tissuemed and a further sign that we are making great strides in the commercialisation of TissuePatch3. His experience in managing international sales of medical devices is welcome and invaluable and will ensure he hits the ground running”.
For distribution enquiries Werner can be reached on wglockner@tissuemed.com
Tissuemed appoints Cardio Solutions - posted: Friday, 5th October 2007
Tissuemed has officially appointed Cardio Solutions (UK) Ltd as its distributor for Tissuepatch3
TissuePatch3 triumphs at EACTS - posted: Sunday, 30th September 2007
All at Tissuemed would like to thank the many hundreds of people who visited our booth and expressed such great interest in TissuePatch3. We’re working hard to get back to everyone who came round and will do so through our network of distributor partners. If you’d like someone to contact you urgently click here and we'll get straight back to you.
Tissuemed's CEO David Fortune had this to say: “After 6 years development work it's extremely gratifying to get such a tremendous response to a new product. It's particularly satisfying to hear surgeons telling us that we have the perfect solution for resolving the problem of air leaks in lung surgery”
New logo for TissuePatch3 - posted: Saturday, 18th August 2007
Sealant and barrier experts Tissuemed have introduced a smart logo for their technology breakthrough product TissuePatch3.
Commenting on the logo, CEO David Fortune says:
TissuePatch3 needs an identifying logo that is both contemporary yet evocative of its function. The “balloon/lung” motif with its graphic interpretation of a TP 3 patch communicates the efficacy of the product in preventing air leaks and the underlying strap-line reinforces the point that this is the only off-the-shelf product available that can be applied without preparation and extended application time.
Tissuemed attains CE Mark - posted: Wednesday, 11th April 2007
Tissuepatch3 surgical sealant has been awarded the CE mark. The approval covers lung and general surgical applications.
