Though disposable needle arthroscopes have become increasingly popular due to their lower risk of contamination and less invasive profile, full-size reusable arthroscopes are still the gold standard for surgeons hoping to get a comprehensive look inside a patient’s joints.
Until now, that is. A freshly minted FDA clearance for Trice Medical’s newest device makes it the first single-use needle arthroscope with a 25-degree view to earn the go-ahead from the regulatory agency.
The Mi-Eye 3 Needlescope’s broad viewing angle makes it a more comprehensive diagnostic tool than other disposable arthroscopes, which have more limited views, the Pennsylvania-based company notes. Its slim profile also boosts its maneuverability compared to high-quality reusable scopes, it added.
“I can clearly see all aspects of the joint space and visualize areas that are difficult to see with a traditional arthroscope,” Richard Ferkel, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at the Southern California Orthopedic Institute, said in a statement. “This 25-degree camera is easy to maneuver all over the ankle and other small joints, and the image quality is comparable to reusable operating room equipment.”
The latest generation of Trice’s Needlescope is equipped with a camera and light source to help guide surgeons through an examination of the interior of a patient’s joints. The tool is designed to be controlled with only one hand, while other reusable arthroscopes require a second hand to control the light source and rotate the angle of the device.
The Needlescope also connects to the Mi-Tablet 3, where surgical teams can monitor the camera feed from the arthroscope and analyze their progress in real time as well as save and share photos and videos from the feed.
Trice’s Mi-Ultra handheld ultrasound wand also integrates with the system. As a surgeon performs an arthroscopic procedure to either diagnose or treat a joint issue, the lightweight ultrasound transducer can simultaneously be used to guide and monitor the Mi-Eye’s needle insertion.
With the nod from the FDA, the updated arthroscopic device will soon be available to surgical teams around the U.S. A recent investment from Bioventus, which funneled an undisclosed amount into Trice in August as part of a partnership to combine the two companies’ technologies and expand adoption of Trice’s devices around the globe, will support those commercialization efforts.
Trice Medical’s most recent FDA clearance comes amid a busy year for the devicemaker. Prior to forging the wide-ranging collaboration with Bioventus, it significantly expanded its orthopedic offerings with the acquisition of Tenex Health in April. That purchase added Tenex’s ultrasonic technology to treat chronic pain in soft tissue and bone to Trice’s slate of minimally invasive surgical treatments.
The acquisition built on Trice’s previous buyout of Seg-WAY Orthopedics, which was completed in 2019 and integrated the latter’s endoscopic carpal tunnel release tech into the Mi-Eye disposable arthroscopy system.