Smiths Medical Launches MR Conditional Wire-reinforced Silicone Tracheostomy Tubes for Neonates and Pediatric Patients

Smiths Medical, a leading global medical device manufacturer, announced today that its Portex Bivona FlexTend^™ TTS^™ tracheostomy tubes will now be included in the company’s standard product offering. The Bivona Flextend™ TTS™ neonatal and pediatric tubes feature a proximal shaft extension helping to keep connections away from the neck, chin, and stoma, intended to enhance patient comfort which could prevent pressure ulcers. The Bivona FlexTend^™ TTS^™ tracheostomy tubes were originally only available as customized products, manufactured in response to clinicians’ orders.

(Photo: Business Wire)

Bivona FlexTend^™ TTS^™ tracheostomy tubes, made of soft, natural, biocompatible silicone, are intended to be gentle on the sensitive tissues of neonatal and pediatric patients who require intermittent or temporary cuff use. An inflatable cuff integrated into the outer wall of the tube’s shaft can be filled with sterile water to secure the tube in the patient’s trachea and creates a seal between the tube and trachea to direct incoming and outgoing breaths through the inner lumen. Directing all airflow through the lumen helps to optimize respiration for ventilated patients and for patients who perform lung expanding breathing therapies. When a seal is no longer needed, the cuff can be deflated and it will rest tight-to-shaft (TTS), reducing the risk of trauma to the trachea and allowing airflow around the tube supporting the ability to speak.

"We are pleased to add this specialty device to our standard Bivona^® tracheostomy product portfolio,” said Tommy Johns, Vice President Global Product Management. "Providing greater accessibility to the Bivona FlexTend^™ TTS^™ tracheostomy tubes ensures that patients and care providers can have exactly what they need, precisely when they need it.”

The new Bivona FlexTend™ TTS™ tracheostomy tubes, as standard product, are manufactured in volume and stocked to fill orders promptly and to enable customers to keep inventory on hand for eventual needs. Smiths Medical will continue to provide Bivona FlexTend™ TTS™ tracheostomy tubes through its customization service. Customized tubes assembled to follow the unique contours and dimensions of a patient’s neck and trachea are essential to patients who have unique needs or an atypical tracheal anatomy.

Bivona FlexTend™ TTS™ tracheostomy tubes are now available in the United States and will be available in other markets later this year.

About Smiths Medical

Smiths Medical www.smiths-medical.com is a leading supplier of specialized medical devices and equipment for global markets, focusing on the medication delivery, vital care and safety devices market segments. It is part of Smiths Group www.smiths.com, a global leader in applying advanced technologies for markets in threat and contraband detection, energy, medical devices, communications and engineered components. Smiths Group employs around 23,000 people in more than 50 countries.

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