Stamford, CT – Modern advancements in medicine have completely altered the way doctors perform surgical procedures. Increasingly, incisions are smaller, recovery times are faster and outcomes are better. A Connecticut company, Orthozon Technologies, is part of this movement, making major headway in the area of spinal surgery with its patented Lumiere™ Retractor System.
This new medical device recently won an award as one of the Top Ten Best New Technology advancements for the spine at the North American Spine Society’s Annual Meeting in New Orleans. This annual award, recognizes inventors, engineering teams, surgeons and companies for creating the most innovative, enduring and practical products in 2013 to treat back pain.
To win the Best New Technology Award for spine care, a product must meet several criteria, including being creative and cutting edge, having long-term significance to the problem of treating diseases of the spine and have staying power. The Lumiere medical device is designed to provide greater access and visibility for physicians, allowing them to perform spinal surgeries more quickly and efficiently. In turn, patients have shorter and less painful recovery periods.
Lumiere uses a powerful built-in fiber optic lighting, translucent retractor blades and full medial access to give surgeons an expandable field of view and greater comfort and flexibility when performing micro endoscopic surgery. The technology received FDA approval in March 2013. Compared to other spinal retractors on the market, the Lumiere system costs 40-60% less per procedure and is disposable, thereby ensuring uncompromised sterility. Patients who have undergone surgery with the system’s minimally invasive technique, as opposed to open discectomy, have shown a drastic reduction in pain, blood loss, surgical duration, and faster recovery time.
Even more impressive about this medical advancement is the story behind its inventor. Joshua Aferzon got his start at the age of 16 when he developed his first patent. He began researching medical devices as a biomedical engineering major at the University of Connecticut. Before even finishing school in 2011, he launched Orthozon Technologies and quickly released his first product, the Lumiere Retractor System.
“This field is my passion,” said Aferzon. “There are infinite possibilities for what can be done to advance medicine, improving the ease of procedures for both doctors and patients.” –