Healthcare Industry News: negative pressure wound
News Release - December 21, 2006
V.A.C. Freedom(R) System Receives Joint Airworthiness Certification
After Rigorous Testing, Cleared by U.S. Air Force-Army as Safe for in-Flight Use on Military AircraftSAN ANTONIO--(HSMN NewsFeed)--Kinetic Concepts, Inc. (NYSE: KCI ), a global medical technology company with leadership positions in advanced wound care and therapeutic surfaces, today announced its V.A.C. Freedom® System has been awarded Joint Airworthiness Certification (JAC) status by the U.S. Military. This comes after an extensive evaluation process testing the device's safety for use on military aeromedical evacuation aircraft. The certification program is a shared U.S. Air Force-Army initiative and applies to specific U.S. Air Force aircraft and U.S. Army helicopters. The certification enables military caregivers to continue providing effective and uninterrupted treatment for injured military personnel being transported long distances from theatre hospitals to continental U.S. hospitals.
"We are extremely pleased that V.A.C. Freedom® has been approved for use in-flight because it means that our service men and women being treated with V.A.C.® Therapy on the ground in Iraq, Afghanistan and other locations around the world, will not have to discontinue treatment and risk compromised healing while en route to the United States," said Mark Carbeau, President of KCI USA.
Devices submitted for JAC certification are subject to airborne feasibility testing under scenarios such as high altitude, rapid decompression and fluctuations in temperature. The V.A.C. Freedom® proved to be operable and safe during medical evacuation flights involving patients suffering from severe and traumatic wounds.
Specifically, the U.S. Air Force has awarded V.A.C. Freedom® Safe-To-Fly status for the following aircraft: C-17, C-5, KC-135, C-21, C-130E/H/J and KC-10. The U.S. Army has approved use of V.A.C. Freedom® on its UH-60A, UH-60L, UH-60Q and HH 60-L helicopters as listed in the current U.S. Army Airworthiness Release (AWR). This makes the V.A.C. Freedom® approved for use on U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army aeromedical evacuation flights.
Mark Carbeau continued, "The JAC Certification reinforces KCI's relationships and standing with government military facilities in the U.S. and abroad. We continue to broaden applications for V.A.C.® Therapy encouraging continuity of care across care settings to deliver improved patient outcomes."
About V.A.C.® Therapy
Our advanced wound care systems incorporate our proprietary Vacuum Assisted Closure®, or V.A.C. technology, which has been clinically demonstrated to help promote wound healing, drive superior clinical outcomes, and provide economic savings for the healthcare system. Today, V.A.C. Therapy is the only negative pressure wound healing technology supported by a robust and growing body of clinical evidence that includes more than: 300 peer-reviewed articles, 350 abstracts, and 50 text-book references. V.A.C.'s proven clinical efficacy is further supported by a unique national service network that offers customers the largest clinical support staff in advanced wound care with 24-hour support and therapy delivery.
About KCI
Kinetic Concepts, Inc. is a global medical technology company with leadership positions in advanced wound care and therapeutic surfaces. We design, manufacture, market and service a wide range of proprietary products that can improve clinical outcomes while helping to reduce the overall cost of patient care. Our advanced wound care systems incorporate our proprietary V.A.C.® technology, which has been clinically demonstrated to help promote wound healing and can help reduce the cost of treating patients with serious wounds. Our therapeutic surfaces, including specialty hospital beds, mattress replacement systems and overlays, are designed to address pulmonary complications associated with immobility and to prevent skin breakdown. We have an infrastructure designed to meet the specific needs of medical professionals and patients across all health care settings including acute care hospitals, extended care facilities and patients' homes both in the United States and abroad.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, which are based on our current expectations and are subject to a number of uncertainties. All information set forth in this release is as of October 16, 2006. We undertake no duty to update this information. More information about the company is described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2005, and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2006, which are on file with the SEC and available at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.
Source: Kinetic Concepts
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