The American Business Journal: TranS1 Inc.

TranS1 Inc.
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admin on 26 November, 2009 12:14:00
 
TranS1 is a pioneer in developing an innovative, trans-sacral approach to lumbar
surgery
It began with one simple idea. Like most medical device companies in their
infancy, it started with trying to find a simpler solution for an existing
complex need. TranS1 developed its concept of accessing the spine in a much less
invasive way than any other process. “Our record is a teacher went back to
work after two days. And that is unheard of in spinal surgery,” says Rick
Randall, president and CEO of TranS1.
This concept was born in the mind and experi­ence of an interventional
radiologist in Minne­apolis named, Dr. Andrew Cragg. “[Andrew] is what
we call a serial entrepreneur,” tells Ran­dall. “Not only is
[Cragg] a skilled physician, but for the last two decades he has been coming up
with novel ideas …some of which have been expressed in a technology that
he licensed to an existing company. In this case, he felt it was such a
fundamental shift in how we treat the spine that it just wasn’t a product;
it could be a company,” says Randall who joined the medical device company
in 2002.
TranS1 Inc.(TSON) is a publicly-held medical device company traded on NASDAQ
that focuses on developing innovative, minimally invasive surgical procedures
for the treatment of low back pain. Old techniques for spinal surgery had
patients facing more time in recovery, while TranS1 technol­ogy has sped up
the rehabilitation process. Basically, the core, in your lower back, is the most
protected part of the body. It is also highly muscular and there are many
ligaments. The reason why spine surgery patients don’t normally
rehabilitate very quickly is because of the collateral damage to those soft
tis­sue structures, which has often been necessary, to access the spine.
“The secret to TranS1’s approach is that we go through the only
avenue in to the spine where not a single muscle or ligament has to be
dis­sected or cut to access the spinal column,” explains Randall,
adding the company’s device is now used globally and across the U.S. More
importantly, it means patients are walking around and returning back to work
quicker. Patients may be sore because of the incision and work done inside the
bone, but they are discharged either the same day or the very next morning, he
says, adding that the more doc­tors use the technology, the more feedback
avail­able to TranS1.
How it goes down
The medical device company claims to use conven­tional surgical tools.
“We enter into the degener­ated disc that is causing chronic pain and
remove it with these minimally invasive cutters; we also work on the cartilage
inside the disc to remove it in order to create an environment that promotes
fusion of the surrounding bone. We then insert a bone graft­ing material,
which biologically stimulates a fusion, so a year later that disc is entirely
loaded with solid bone,” explains Randall, adding that this minimizes pain
as an implant locks the bones that surround the disc, reducing painful motions.
Gaining validity among experts
TranS1 has two types of customers: The orthopedic and neurosurgeon spine
surgeon. As medical ex­perts make the decision to facilitate and perform the
surgery, and like most cases, the hospital will purchase the technology.
“We do work closely with surgeons who are doing the operations to collect
data as they write papers or submit abstracts to present at meetings or
conventions,” says Randall.
Innovative training tools come in handy
Several times a year, the medical device company will showcase its technology at
a spine educational symposium. “We had a very good simulator anatomic
model that matches up very well and provides tactile feedback similar to when
the surgeon is with a live patient,” says Randall. Surgeons are also given
the option to visit a fellow colleague to observe him or her perform the
operation, using the technology. “We find this to be an enriching
experience; we try to make sure the visiting surgeon participates on the rounds,
because, I can assure you, they aren’t used to seeing patients walk around
two hours after their operation,” he exclaims.
New technology in the works
The Association of Pre-Sacral Spine Surgeons (APSS) held an educational
conference last month that showcased new techniques including those made
possible with TranS1’s medical device. “We have an exciting and
novel technology that is really in its infancy, so if surgeons can interact with
others who have used it, that fast-forwards the educational pro­cess,”
says Randall, adding the company is currently working towards developing
technology to work higher than the lower back core area. “We would like to
eventually become a company that a surgeon could look at to treat any problem in
the spine,” he says.
http://www.trans1.com