VMX 2024 Product Review - Part 1
The Medical Advisory Board (MAB) members recently visited the exhibit hall of VMX 2024 to gather information about new and innovative products and services in our profession. The MAB spoke with representatives from a curated list of over 80 exhibitors. During the upcoming year, we will meet with our top picks to gather details about their most innovative products so that we can distribute that information in future Veterinary Voice publications. We also identified several companies that we considered Honorable Mentions. The first half of those companies are featured here, and the second half is mentioned here.
1. Jorgensen Labs (jorvet.com)
Jorgensen has two new products we want to highlight that will be released for distribution soon.
The Ji697 Air Plasma Sterilizer uses air and electricity to sterilize medical-grade equipment that cannot be autoclaved, including plastic instruments and equipment, surgical endoscopes of any type, vessel sealers, etc. The proprietary process “produces multiple reactive oxygen and nitrogen species from air that rapidly destroy microorganisms on instrument surfaces.”
Once sterilization is complete, the gases are converted back into air with zero emissions. The sterilization process takes 4 hours, no chemical reagents are needed, and the company reports that machine maintenance is low. The whole unit is approximately the size of a standard autoclave, but the tray inside to hold instruments is smaller than expected (10” X 16” X 4” tall). The company reports that a larger model is in development as well.
The Darvall Cozy Warming System: Darvall’s heated anesthesia circuits are designed to significantly reduce hypothermia during anesthesia in small animal patients. The system warms the inspired gas before it is inhaled by the patient. For safety, the system provides continuous digital monitoring of the temperature of the inspired gas and the patient’s body temperature. The tubing has a smooth wall to allow easy cleaning and drying. The unit is small and sits easily on top of the anesthesia machine.
2. Trivium Vet (triviumvet.com)
Trivium Vet describes itself as “a small team of pharmaceutical professionals and clinical researchers based in Waterford, Ireland” that researches and develops new veterinary products and treatments. Their areas of development currently include cardiology, chronic renal disease, gastroenterology, and pain management.
Trivium’s most novel product (TRIV202, an mTOR inhibitor) targets disease pathways underlying feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Their RapaCat study, done in conjunction with UC Davis and NC State, showed a reduction in left ventricular wall thickness in cats with subclinical HCM. The product is currently undergoing further studies and regulatory review.
3. Epica Animal Health (epicaanimalhealth.com)
High-definition CT is the future for point-of-care imaging in veterinary medicine. Epica Animal Health is a veterinary-exclusive, advanced imaging company that provides ultra-high resolution 2D/3D CT, fluoroscopy, and radiography in one portable machine. The latest models are the Vimago GT30 Pico for small animals and the Pegaso Evolution for equines.
The company reports that its High-Definition Volumetric Imaging (HDVI) CT platform can replace ultrasound and MRI in many cases. The images demonstrated at VMX were of excellent quality; the unit is movable via wheels, and it is relatively small compared to traditional CT units.
4. Endoscopes – Oasis Scientific Inc. (oasisscientific.com) and Advanced Monitors Corporation (admon.com)
Oasis Scientific Inc. is a company based in South Carolina that specializes in products that digitally enhance microscopic and small objects or allow imaging of areas that are difficult to view. The company has a line of high-quality veterinary endoscopes for both large and small animals that provide clear, detailed images on various screen options, from smartphones to large monitors. They offer flexible and rigid scopes, 2-way and 4-way articulation, options for working channels, and a variety of lengths and sizes that can be customized.
Advanced Monitors Corporation specializes in designing and manufacturing diagnostic products for the medical, veterinary and consumer markets. Their video endoscopes for equine and small animals are “plug and play” and work with Windows computers, laptops, tablets, and Android devices. The small animal scope weighs only 1 kg and is easily moved and cleaned. The LED light provides excellent illumination, and the high-resolution camera produces clear images. A variety of lengths and diameters are available with and without working ports. The company offers in-clinic training for small animal endoscopy.
5. K-Laser (k-laser.com)
K-Laser's newest model for small animals is the K-Laser Speciale Plus Vet. It incorporates the use of six dynamic wavelengths and customized patient settings with a single handpiece that is easy to hold and manipulate. There are seven sensors in the handpiece that analyze skin color and tissue type for the most effective treatment.
The product has safety features that reduce power if the movement of the handpiece slows or stops. The customizable options are impressive, and the unit is small with an intuitive user interface.
Click Here to read Part 2 of our review!