Abstract
ZirMed®, a national provider of revenue cycle management solutions for healthcare providers, offers ZirMed One, a bundling of the company's three most popular insurance claims reimbursement services into one solution designed to lower costs and improve revenue efficiency for smaller healthcare businesses.
ZirMed One combines ZirMed's Eligibility Verification, Claims Management, and ERA (Electronic Remittance Advice) services. Suitable for solo practices or small groups with fewer annual insurance claim totals, this service provides the same technologies and services used by large operations.
The Eligibility Verification service offers a cost savings over manual verification. Verifications can be performed individually or by batch, with overnight processing available for maximum productivity. Claims Management, the core module of ZirMed One, cleans, submits, and tracks insurance claims. This module's error identification capability ensures that correct claims are filed the first time. The ERA solution reduces the impact of EOBs (explanations of benefits), remittances, claims adjustments, and other paperwork through automatic posting. Search tools allow users to locate EOBs by check, payer, or patient name.
ZirMed One is priced on a monthly subscription basis to fit the unique needs of individual practices.
Cutting Device
Peak Surgical introduces the PlasmaBlade® 4.0, a cutting device using pulsed plasma energy, which permits precise surgical control at near body temperature and offers reduced bleeding. This device is based on proprietary pulsed plasma technology; plasma is the same energy used in neon signs and plasma flat-screen TVs.
According to the company, the PlasmaBlade provides the precision of a traditional scalpel with the bleeding control of traditional electrosurgery technology, and with minimized thermal damage. It can quickly and easily cut through all types of soft tissue and can be used in a wet or dry surgical field.
Results of a preclinical surgical incision healing study and a blinded clinical abdominoplasty study comparing the PlasmaBlade with traditional surgical techniques demonstrated that it efficiently cut tissue with 60% reduced bleeding, minimal thermal damage, and more rapid healing.
Double-Ended Ear Curettes
Solon Manufacturing Co. has introduced its new double-ended ear curettes with a patent-pending, “no-roll” triangle handle. The disposable curettes have different sized and shaped tips on opposing ends to permit their use for complete removal of impacted or occluded cerumen from the ear canal. The larger tip can be used to remove the substantial impaction areas, and the smaller tip can be used to clean the remaining cerumen particles.
Two versions are available, one with large and small paddle/spoon ends and the other with large and small circle/loop ends. The handles have ridges for a comfortable, secure grip. The curettes are molded from antimicrobial plastic and have an orientation mark for alignment of the tip from outside the ear.
Tympanostomy Tube
JedMed's Tympanostomy U-Tube is a multipurpose, all-in-one tube that can be used for both short- and long-term insertions. Its arched arms preserve the blood supply of the rim of the tympanostomy, decreasing the incidence of residual perforation. Its “collapse mechanism” permits easy, painless extraction, and its translucent light-blue color allows for clog identification from the outside.
Sinus Stent
In Health Technologies introduces the Freeman® Frontal Sinus Stent, developed by Stephen B. Freeman, MD, FACS, and designed to reduce the need for frontal sinus obliteration or technically difficult frontal sinus drill-out procedures. It is inserted endoscopically with the patented atraumatic Blom-Singer® gel cap insertion system or through an external incision and frontal sinus fenestration.
Use of this stent is recommended for stenosis of the frontal outflow tract due to previous surgery or trauma, opened either endoscopically or through an external Lynch incision; chronic frontal sinusitis that is drained endoscopically; a frontal sinus mucocele that is decompressed endoscopically or through a Lynch incision; or polyps or hypertrophic mucosal disease in the frontal recess removed endoscopically.
The Freeman Frontal Sinus Stent is provided as a sterile kit and includes a stent, insertion instrument, BlomSinger gel cap loading tool, and gel caps. Available sizes include a 20-mm length in 14 Fr. and 16 Fr. diameters.
Invisible Hearing-Restoration Implant
Esteem®, a novel prosthetic hearing-restoration device created by Envoy Medical Corp., recently received FDA approval for marketing in the United States. The device is intended for adults (≥18 years of age) with moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss. The technology consists of a sound processor, which is implanted behind the outer ear, and two transducers (the sensor and driver), implanted in the middle ear.
Esteem uses the patient's eardrum as a natural “microphone,” detecting sounds through the ear canal and thus reducing background noise, distortion, and acoustic feedback.
The sensor, attached to the ossicular chain, picks up vibrations from the eardrum, malleus, and incus and converts the vibrations into electrical signals. The signals are sent to the sound processor, which filters and increases them and sends them on to the driver, which is attached to the stapes and converts the electrical signals back into mechanical vibrations and transmits them to the stapes and cochlea.
Surgical techniques for implantation of the Esteem device include the usual techniques used for mastoid surgery along with an extended facial recess surgical approach to access the ossicular chain, which is disarticulated during the procedure.
Patients should be informed of the risks of surgery and that they will not be able to hear through the implanted ear for approximately 8 weeks after surgery, until the physician determines that the device can be activated. In addition to the minimum age requirement, patients should have stable bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, an unaided speech discrimination test score ≥40%, a normally functioning eustachian tube, normal middle ear anatomy and tympanic membrane, adequate space for the implant, and at least 30 days’ experience with an appropriately fitting hearing aid.
Contraindications for use of the Esteem device include a history of postadolescent chronic middle ear infections, inner ear disorders, or recurring vertigo requiring treatment; disorders such as mastoiditis, hydrops, or Ménière disease/syndrome; a history of fluctuating air-conduction and/or bone-conduction hearing loss in the previous year; a history of otitis externa or eczema of the outer ear canal; cholesteatoma or destructive middle ear disease; retrocochlear or central auditory disorders; disabling tinnitus; a history of keloid formation; hypersensitivity to silicone rubber, polyurethane, stainless steel, titanium, and/or gold; and a preexisting medical condition or ongoing treatment that might affect the healing process. The device also should not be implanted during pregnancy. Once it is implanted, patients should avoid contact sports or activities that could result in a hard blow to the head.
Esteem includes a Personal Programmer that allows the user to turn the device on or off and select the volume and one of three program settings. The battery lasts up to 9 years, depending on usage and noise exposure. A signal alerts patients when the battery begins to deplete; the battery is surgically replaced on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia; this takes approximately 1 hour, and the device is turned on the same day.
Scar Management gel sheets
InHealth Technologies introduces Blom-Singer® Scar Management Gel Sheets. These medical-grade silicone-based products are designed to improve the appearance of keloids and hypertrophic scars resulting from surgery or trauma to the skin.
The gel sheets are self-adhering, reusable, washable, and come in two shapes: a circle, to reduce scarring around a stoma (2.75″ OD x 1″ ID); and a rectangle, to reduce large, straight scarring (1.5″ x 5″).
Although for best results the gel sheets should be applied as soon after healing as possible, they may be used on older scars. Regardless of the scar's age, patients should begin to see the scar soften, flatten, and fade within 7 to 90 days.
Tinnitus Treatment
Arches Tinnitus Formulas has developed a customized ginkgo biloba extract for its Arches Tinnitus Relief Formula® (TRF). Ginkgo biloba is one of the three main ingredients in TRF; it has three components whose mechanisms of action reduce tinnitus: (1) flavonol glycosides, responsible for ginkgo's antioxidant actions; (2) ginkgolide fractions of terpene lactones, which support blood vessel relaxation and inhibit platelet activating factor, resulting in increased circulation, especially in the micro-capillaries that feed the brain, eyes, and ears; and (3) the bilobalide fraction of terpene lactones, which protects brain neurons by affecting gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors in the brain and by glutamate antagonism and antioxidant activity. It also protects against ischemic injury and neuronal death.
Concentrations of these components have been increased in the ginkgo biloba used in TRF, making Arches’ newly designed ginkgo a more effective extract for the treatment of tinnitus. At the same time, the amount of ginkgolic acid has been reduced to less than 0.5 ppm.
Redesigned Neti Pot
SinuCleanse® now offers a clear, lightly tinted blue version of its best-selling neti pot. This innovation enhances ease of use by allowing visual inspection of the saline solution in the neti pot, to ensure that it is completely mixed and pure, thus helping to prevent a stinging feeling in the nose and sinuses during use. The clear design also allows better monitoring of the flow and volume of saline solution during nasal washing.
A study by Rabago et al, “Qualitative aspects of nasal irrigation use by patients with chronic sinus disease in a multimethod study” (Ann Fam Med 2006;4(4):295–301), concluded that nasal irrigation with saline solution is a “safe, well-tolerated, inexpensive, effective, long-term therapy that patients with chronic sinonasal symptoms can and will use at home with minimal training and follow-up.”
According to the manufacturer of the neti pot, nasal irrigation with saline solution also has been clinically proven to relieve cold and flu symptoms, allergy symptoms, nasal congestion, sinusitis and rhinitis, and sinus headaches, and to reduce the frequency and duration of colds and flu.
The new clear SinuCleanse neti pot comes with 30 all-natural, quick-dissolving, premeasured saline solution packets. SinuCleanse products are sold at leading food, drug, and mass outlets nationwide.
Fast-Acting Nasal Nebulizer
ASL Pharmacy® has recently begun dispensing a new drug delivery device known as the NasoNeb™ Nasal Nebulizer, manufactured by Medlnvent, LLC. This is an FDA-listed medical device for nasal drug administration that delivers a topical sinus treatment by applying positive-pressure atomization to the sinuses. It utilizes the latest irrigation and atomization technologies to provide dual-nostril, positive-pressure medication deposition in less than 2 minutes with minimal drug waste.
The NasoNeb Nasal Nebulizer creates a low-volume irrigation effect with particles small enough to deposit medication in the right places yet large enough not to enter the lungs or bronchioles. The device may be prescribed by physicians if oral medications have failed or for patients who cannot tolerate oral medications well.
ASL prepares and dispenses specialized compounded medications upon physician order to assist them in the safe management of difficult patient cases. By combining the latest atomization and irrigation technologies, as many as 4 medications may be combined and administered in less than 2 minutes.
ASL is working with more than 1,800 physicians nationwide. The physician simply faxes his/her prescription to ASL, and ASL does the rest. The patient's insurance is billed and the medications and devices ordered are then shipped directly to the patient's home.
High-Definition ENT Microscope
The Leica M320 F12 bundles apochromatic optical quality with LED illumination and high-definition imaging technology, providing ease of use and flexible, smooth maneuverability.
This microscope offers several advantages. With a lifetime of approximately 60,000 hours, LED lighting reduces the cost of microscope ownership and eliminates retrofit expenses. The system's binocular tubes, objective lenses, handles, and vibration-free microscope arm can be customized to suit a surgeon's working preferences and specializations. Also, for superior hygiene, the Leica M320 features cables that are routed internally, handles that can be washed and sterilized, and a surface protected with a permanent antimicrobial coating, AgProtect™.
The ENT surgeon can consult with patients and other healthcare professionals with high-definition recording and documentation of each case. All data can be saved on an SD memory card.
Rx Allergy Drops
All-American Allergy Alternatives, LLC, and Embrace Pharmacy announce the offering of prescription allergy drops for sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT). The drops are available from Embrace Pharmacy pursuant to a valid prescription from a licensed provider. The patient cost for a 3-month standard prescription is $109, and custom-prescription allergy drops are priced at $149 for a 3-month prescription.
Dr. Todd Meyer, medical director of All-American Allergy Alternatives, states, “Our goal is to assist physicians in prescribing sublingual immunotherapy to their patients for food allergies and year-round, seasonal, and preseasonal inhalant allergies.” To help meet this goal, All-American Allergy Alternatives, LLC, opened Embrace Pharmacy, a fully licensed specialty pharmacy. Prescriptions are filled in a state-accredited pharmacy in accordance with the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy's 2007 recommended dosing schedule and labeled as suggested by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.
Medicated Saline Nasal Rinses
Sinus Dynamics introduces topical medicated nasal irrigation treatment for patients who suffer from upper respiratory inflammation and infection. The company compounds proprietary pharmaceutical formulas, available nationwide through physician prescription, to treat these medical conditions with medicated saline rinses.
Side effects are minimized because of minimal systemic absorption of the medicated solutions prescribed for nasal irrigation, and topical treatment addresses the problem of bacterial resistance to oral antibiotics. Additional benefits include the clearing out of excessive upper respiratory secretions and airborne allergens while moisturizing nasal passages and, to a lesser extent, the sinus mucosa to improve mucociliary function.
Sinus Dynamics’ compounded medications for intranasal administration (for patients with chronic and acute rhinosinusitis) include antibiotics, antifungal medications, and anti-inflammatory medications. Medicated nasal irrigation can also be used both pre- and postoperatively to contain and control infection and inflammation. When prescribed preoperatively, the formulas can help prevent bacterial or fungal contamination of the surgical suite and reduce the risk of infection to the surgical team, most notably from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
Sinus Dynamics handles all billing and is contracted with PPO, Medicare, and HMO insurers throughout the United States, including TRICARE for active and retired military personnel.
Absorbable Nasal/Sinus Dressing
Invotec's newly formulated Final™ Nasal absorbing sponge and instillable nasal gel prevent postoperative adhesions, quickly stop bleeding (even in the presence of blood thinners), and contribute to enhanced wound healing.
Final's unique structural and material formulation support rapid healing. Its porcine gelatin composition completely absorbs within 7 to 9 days, without the need for additional irrigation, debridement, or suctioning.
This product is provided as an absorbable sponge or a powder that is easily mixed into an instillable gel.
Nasal Irrigation Kit
ActiveSinus, Inc., introduces its FDA-registered OTC saline nasal irrigation kit, ActiveSinus™. The kit includes an irrigator with an offset, custom-molded nozzle and 60 packets of USP-grade sea salt (sodium chloride) and sodium bicarbonate for a buffered, pH-balanced saline solution.
The 6-oz, high-volume, low-pressure irrigator is easy to hold and promises significant improvements such as reduced incidence of patient complaints from “ear popping,” as the nozzle does not create such a tight seal in the nasal opening that it results in a vacuum that exerts pressure on the eustachian tube.
The irrigator also features a tubeless design. In other irrigation bottles, tubes can trap mold and bacteria, and broken tubes require replacement of the irrigator. With only a bottle and nozzle, the ActiveSinus irrigator is easy to clean. Also, because the irrigator is inverted during use, 100% of the solution is expelled, and none wasted. The offset, custom-molded nozzle gives the user more directional control.
Compact Earplugs
McKeon Products has launched Mack's® Roll-Ups™ Wallet Earplugs, designed to make hearing protection conveniently available for consumers at all times. They feature rectangular, flat packaging that is smaller than a credit card, so that they easily fit in a wallet. Each individual package includes a pair of smooth foam strips that roll up in seconds for quick, easy use. They feature a Noise Reduction Rating of 21 dB and are designed to fit any size ear canal. They are available in packages of 4 pairs.
Home Sleep Test
NorthEast Monitoring, Inc., has developed an OxyAirHolter® cable that elevates its LX Sleep® System to a type III home sleep test system. Previously, the system qualified as a type IV with an OxyHolter cable.
With the addition of an airflow channel, the small ambulatory device records and measures ECG, SpO2, airflow, respiration, and pulse/beat for its Home Sleep Test system. In conjunction with LX Sleep software, doctors can diagnose obstructive sleep apnea from the data collected during a simple overnight, unattended, at-home sleep test.
The complete system consists of NorthEast's flagship DR180+ recorder, an OxyAirHolter cable, and LX Sleep analysis software. NorthEast will sell and market the product worldwide.