Radio Frequency (RF) Technology for Surgical Solutions: Strategic Moves by Medtronic and J&J

Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) said today that it agreed to pay $235 million to acquire RF Surgical Systems and its device for keeping track of items used during surgery.

The RF Surgical system is designed to help prevent “never events” such as leaving a surgical sponge in a patient after surgery, using low radiofrequency signals to track the RF tags embedded in surgical gauze, sponges and towels, Medtronic said.

“Patients are our priority. Improving patient safety and outcomes is our daily focus, which directly aligns with the RF Surgical technology, a simple and cost-effective solution to avoidable complications in surgical procedures,” surgical innovations president Chris Barry said in prepared remarks.

“We are pleased to be joining the Medtronic team as their long-standing commitment to patient safety closely aligns with RF Surgical,” added RF Surgical CEO John Buhler. “As we strive to make the RF Surgical technology the global standard of care, we look forward to the innovation opportunity afforded by our combined capabilities.”

Medtronic said it plans to fold RF Surgical into its surgical solutions division of its minimally invasive technologies business. The deal, expected to close in August, is not expect to make a material contribution to Medtronic’s annual earnings, the Fridley, Minn.-based company said.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) subsidiary DePuy Synthes‘ Mitek sports medicine said last Friday it launched 2 new arthroscopic radio-frequency devices, the Vapr Tripolar 90 and Vapr Arctic suction electrodes. The announcement was made at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine’s annual meeting.

The suction electrodes are hand-held, energy-based devices intended for ablation or coagulation soft tissue, designed to enhance procedural efficiency and patient safety during shoulder and hip arthroscopy, Raynham Mass.-based Mitek said.

“The Vapr Arctic suction electrode allows me to use a single device instead of multiple ones, which has the potential to save time and cost, and the ability to articulate allows me to quickly and safely prepare my acetabular rim without damaging the labral tissue,” Dr. Sean McMillanof Cherry Hill, N.J.’s Lourdes Medical Associates said in a press release.

The Vapr Tripolar 90 is indicated for shoulder arthroscopy and has a tip design that optimizes ablation and coagulation performance, Mitek said. The Vapr Arctic is indicated for , the company said.

“The Vapr Arctic and Vapr Tripolar 90 electrodes for arthroscopy are the latest examples of our continued commitment to meaningful innovation that delivers value to health care providers, patients and hospital customers. Our expanding and comprehensive arthroscopy portfolio offers our customers a single source solution for access, visualization, resection and repair,” Mitek’s Max Reinhardt said in a prepared statement.