SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kinetic Concepts, Inc. (KCI) announced today that LifeCell Corporation (LifeCell) has acquired an advanced adipose Tissue Injector (aTI) for improved fat grafting procedures from the TauTona Group, a medical device incubator based in Menlo Park, California. With the aTI, LifeCell is expanding its offering for reconstructive and cosmetic procedures utilizing fat grafting technology. The acquisition of the aTI technology advances KCI’s strategy to bring new technologies into the combined KCI, LifeCell and Systagenix product portfolio to better serve the needs of customers and patients around the world.
“With this acquisition, we will leverage the LifeCell sales channel in the reconstructive and plastic surgery fields to commercialize this exciting new technology,” said Joe Woody, president & CEO, KCI. “We continue to be focused on innovation and acquisitions of technologies and platforms that both complement and further diversify our combined product portfolio.”
The aTI is a battery-powered, single-use tool that was built to deliver fat at a controlled rate, which reduces the complexity of performing injections and allows the surgeon to focus on placement. By managing the pressure and flow rates during injection, the aTI minimizes damage to the injected fat and efficiently delivers the tissue to the injection site.
“The acquisition of the adipose Tissue Injector demonstrates our ongoing commitment to providing clinicians with the tools they need to provide efficient, cost-effective surgical and reconstructive procedures to their patients,” said Philip Croxford, Senior Vice President, LifeCell. “We believe the aTI, in addition to LifeCell’s existing REVOLVE™ Fat Processing System, will offer clinicians valuable solutions from fat grafting processing through reinjection.”
“LifeCell is the best possible company to commercialize the adipose Tissue Injector, given its existing presence in the fat grafting market and long-standing position as a leader in the reconstructive and plastic surgery fields,” said Geoffrey Gurtner, MD, Managing Partner, TauTona and Professor of Plastic Surgery, Stanford University. “Fat grafting is rapidly growing as an effective surgical method, but is often performed with a 100-year-old technology, the syringe. Physicians are looking to simplify fat grafting in order to reduce costs and improve efficiency. We believe the adipose Tissue Injector can help simplify these types of procedures.”
The aTI is the second product in the LifeCell fat grafting portfolio since the launch of the REVOLVE™ Fat Processing System in October 2013. The REVOLVE™ System is a patented, single-use device that can be placed in a sterile field to facilitate more efficient processing, filtering, and transferring of a patient’s own fat tissue. It enables high-volume fat processing (up to 800ml lipoaspirate) in less than 15 minutes, offering the potential to reduce operating room procedure time.
For more information about LifeCell and fat grafting technology, please visit www.LifeCell.com.
About KCI, LifeCell and Systagenix
Kinetic Concepts Inc., LifeCell Corporation and Systagenix Wound Management form one globally diversified wound care, biologics and regenerative medicine company, committed to advancing the science of medicine through transformational healing solutions that reduce complications, speed healing and improve patient lives. Headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, the company is a leader in the medical technology industry with the most comprehensive offering of best-in-class surgical and chronic wound therapies. Additional information about the company and our products can be found at www.KCI1.com or www.LifeCell.com or www.Systagenix.com.
About TauTona Group
TauTona Group is a medical device incubator and investor focused on rapid development of innovative surgical products, with special expertise in the reconstructive and aesthetic markets. Co-founded in 2010 by two Stanford School of Medicine surgery professors, TauTona invests in and develops innovative medical devices for commercialization by strategic partners. Recent exits include the sale of the TauTona Tissue Injector to LifeCell and the sale of its Surgical Marker technology to Novadaq® Technologies Inc., (NASDAQ: NVDQ) (TSX: NDQ). TauTona also has several other devices currently under development or in the approval process.
TauTona partners with entrepreneurs, institutions and corporations to fund, develop and build exceptional surgical medical devices using its in-house engineering and business expertise.
