ArthroCare's bone cement delivery technology:

The US FDA has given ArthroCare 510(k) clearance to sell what it claims is the industry's first fully enclosed device for mixing and delivering bone cement during vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures. The Parallax integrated delivery system (IDS) uses a self-contained cement cartridge that contains precise amounts of monomer and polymer, and a mating reservoir. In addition to simplifying the cement mixing process, the device also provides precise cement volume control, a large cement reservoir that allows a vertebroplasty to be completed without refilling, and a 17-inch injection tube that minimises the operator's exposure to radiation. Current cement delivery systems often require complicated cement mixing equipment, expose the operating room staff to toxic monomer and deliver inconsistent cement mixing results, said the Austin, Texas firm.