Repeated washing, scrubbing and gloving by physicians and nurses can cause dry, irritated and even cracked hands, which can lead to infection and cross-contamination. A new surgical glove from Cardinal may help. Esteem polyisoprene gloves now contain Neu-Thera, a substance said to help protect, restore, moisturize and soothe hands. Esteem surgical gloves are made of polyisoprene. The company did not give a price.

Cardinal Health
(800) 234-8701
www.cardinal.com

One Size Fits All
A new line of trocars may provide facility managers with greater cost efficiency and laparoscopic surgeons with more control. The new OnePort line from Conmed uses a universal seal that all sizes and types of cannulas and trocars - pediatric to bariatric - fit through. This allows facilities to standardize their trocars. The company also says the OnePort trocars are ergonomically designed, giving surgeons better control. The trocars and cannulas come in disposable and reposable versions with bladed or dilating tips and variations in style, such as ribbed or smooth cannulas in several lengths and diameters. The company did not give pricing.

Conmed Corp.
(800) 448-6506
www.conmed.com

Patient-warming Gowns Now Come in Size Small
The first combination patient gown and warming system now comes in small sizes for adolescents and other petite surgical patients. The Bair Paws system is a single-use-warming gown that replaces the traditional gown. When attached to a warming unit, patients waiting for surgery can adjust the temperature of the air flowing through the warming gown to a comfortable level using a hand-held controller. A nurse can then reconnect a Bair Paws warming unit to the warming gown and set the temperature to comfort patients recovering from anesthesia. The gowns cost about $15 each. You can order them in an $18 kit that includes booties, a bonnet, a shoe bag and a bag for patient belongings.

Arizant Healthcare, Inc.
(800) 733-7775
www.bairpaws.com

Blades in Three Dimensions
Eye surgeons who use the bi-manual phaco technique may like the new three-dimensional configuration of Rhein Medical's Bi-Manual Phaco Blades. The new design is said to help prevent "oar locking" and to offer better water-tight re-approximation of tissue. The single-use 1.2mm to 1.4mm 3-D Bi-Manual Phaco Blades come six to a box and are available sterile and ready to use. Call for a free sample. The company did not give pricing.

Rhein Medical
(800) 637-4346
www.rheinmedical.com

Reduce Surgical Instrument Loss
You may be able to prevent surgical instruments from being thrown away in waste and soiled linen bags with the MedDetect MD-2000. Using electromagnetic technology, the device scans bags that are either walked or waved between parallel detection panels. An audible and visual alarm sounds when an instrument is found. With the MedDetect's Magnetic Retrieval Probe, you can safely locate and retrieve the instrument. According to the company, the device can differentiate between instruments and needles, sharps and other disposable metallic waste items, reducing false alarms. The device requires a 40-square-inch floor area. It costs $14,500.

MedDetect, Inc.
(217) 483-8449
www.meddetectids.com

A Smart Phaco Machine?
For better flexibility and greater simplicity for the removal of all lens types, consider AMO's Sovereign with WhiteStar software. The system is said to be able to sense pressure variations at the phaco tip and respond accordingly. AMO says that as a result, nuclear fragments are drawn efficiently to the tip and less phaco energy is released into the eye, helping to protect the fragile corneal endothelium. The company did not give a price.

Advanced Medical Optics, Inc.
(800) 449-3060
www.amo-inc.com

Upgrade Your Table
For extra patient-weight and -width capacity and expanded surgical capabilities, Amsco 3080 and 3085 SP Surgical Table owners should consider the Amsco 3080/3085 SP Bariatric Foot Extension. The Amsco Foot Extension is rated for patients up to 1,000 pounds and is designed to attach securely and easily, and provide full positioning capability. It matches the 28-inch width of an Amsco Surgical Table with Bariatric Extensions and fully supports any obese patient, the company says. The company did not provide pricing.

Steris, Corp.
(800) JIT 4 USE
www.steris.com

Safer Rapid Infusion?
If you own a Smiths Medical H-1200 Fast Flow Fluid Warmer, you may be able to make rapid infusion safer with the H-30 Air Detector/Clamp. Using ultrasound, the device detects the presence of air in blood and crystalloid. When it senses air, the clamp closes, stopping the air before it enters the patient line. Audible and visual alarms simultaneously notify the user that the fluid flow has stopped. You can clear the bolus of air and restore the fluid flow without disconnecting from the patient. The company did not give a price.

Smiths Medical
(800) 553-8351
www.smiths-medical.com