Established in 2001, Vidacare Corporation was the developer of intraosseous (inside the bone) medical devices. Its devices were used in

vascular access Vascular access refers to a rapid, direct method of introducing or removing devices or chemicals from the bloodstream. In hemodialysis, vascular access is used to remove the patient's blood so that it can be filtered through the dialyzer. Three p ...

oncology Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study, treatment, diagnosis and prevention of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''. The name's etymological origin is the Greek word ὄγκος (''� ...

, and

spinal surgery Neurosurgery or neurological surgery, known in common parlance as brain surgery, is the medical specialty concerned with the surgical treatment of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spinal cord and peri ...

. Privately held, the company was based in

San Antonio, Texas ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

, and its products were marketed in over 50 countries worldwide. In December 2013, Teleflex Incorporated, based in

Wayne, Pennsylvania Wayne is an unincorporated community centered in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, on the Main Line, a series of highly affluent Philadelphia suburbs located along the railroad tracks of the Pennsylvania Railroad and one of the wealthiest areas ...

, revealed that it had completed the acquisition of Vidacare Corporation for $263 million.

History

The intraosseous space was first discovered as a non-collapsible

vein Veins are blood vessels in humans and most other animals that carry blood towards the heart. Most veins carry deoxygenated blood from the tissues back to the heart; exceptions are the pulmonary and umbilical veins, both of which carry oxygenat ...

in 1922 when C.K. Drinker, MD, of

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

examined the circulation of the

sternum The sternum or breastbone is a long flat bone located in the central part of the chest. It connects to the ribs via cartilage and forms the front of the rib cage, thus helping to protect the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels from injury. Sha ...

and confirmed that fluids infused into the bone marrow were quickly absorbed into the central circulation, providing a viable alternative to failed vascular access with traditional methods. However, a reliable, safe and easy method to access this intraosseous space proved elusive and this area of medicine and its opportunities remained largely unexplored. In the mid-1990s, the technologies behind Vidacare's products were developed at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, in the Athanasiou laboratory by Kyriacos A. Athanasiou, George Constantinides, and Dan Lanctot. In 2000, Dr. Larry Miller, an

emergency physician An emergency physician (often called an "ER doctor" in the United States) is a physician who works at an emergency department to care for ill patients. The emergency physician is a specialist in advanced cardiac life support (advanced life suppor ...

for over 30 years and one of Vidacare's founders, set out to develop a technology platform that could be utilized in a broad range of health care settings. These applications included

, bone marrow biopsies and aspirations,

regenerative medicine Regenerative medicine deals with the "process of replacing, engineering or regenerating human or animal cells, tissues or organs to restore or establish normal function". This field holds the promise of engineering damaged tissues and organs by st ...

and more. In 2001, Vidacare Corporation was established to bring this technology platform to market. In 2004, Vidacare received its first U.S.

Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respon ...

(FDA) clearance for the EZ-IO Intraosseous Infusion System – the first battery-powered device to establish immediate vascular access using the IO space. In 2007, Vidacare received additional FDA clearance for the OnControl Bone Marrow System, the first significant improvement to bone marrow procedures in decades. In 2008, the company received FDA clearance for the OnControl Bone Access System for use in

procedures. In 2010, Vidacare claimed that its EZ-IO technology was used in 90 percent of U.S. advanced life support ambulances, over half of U.S. emergency departments, and by the U.S. military. The company stated it also was able to market the device in over 50 countries. In December 2013, Teleflex Incorporated completed the acquisition of Vidacare, integrating its products into Teleflex's Arrow product line.

Products

• Vidacare's first product, the EZ-IO Intraosseous Infusion System, provided immediate

for the delivery of essential medications and fluids. The inventors of the EZ-IO are: Larry J. Miller, Robert W. Titkemeyer, David S. Bolleter, Ruben Trevino, Matthew T. Harmon and Christopher Kilcoin. • Vidacare's OnControl Bone Marrow System was created to improve the procedures involving bone marrow biopsies and aspirations. • The OnControl Bone Access System provided rapid and safe access to

vertebrae The spinal column, a defining synapomorphy shared by nearly all vertebrates, Hagfish are believed to have secondarily lost their spinal column is a moderately flexible series of vertebrae (singular vertebra), each constituting a characteristi ...

during

vertebroplasty Vertebral augmentation, including vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty, refers to similar percutaneous spinal procedures in which bone cement is injected through a small hole in the skin into a fractured vertebra in order to relieve back pain cause ...

.Study Shows Powered Bone Access Device Allows for Accurate Insertion Using Tactile Feedback in Vertebroplasty and Bone Marrow Sampling Procedures
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References

{{Reflist Medical technology companies of the United States 2013 mergers and acquisitions American companies established in 2001