Following years of development and recent formal trials at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, Swann-Morton will launch its Cygnetic blade and handle range at COMOC on stand 72. The unique design offers a major breakthrough for rigorous orthopaedic procedures and for general surgery, where excess lateral pressure can sometimes be placed on the blade.

Cygnetic provides the surgeon with additional strength and stability through a patented combination. The blade is manufactured from a thicker specification of stainless steel, which is gripped firmly on both sides once secured within the special handle.

The Cygnetic handle’s lever-operated system allows for safe and easy blade attachment and removal. When the blade needs changing or the procedure is completed, the theatre nurse can simply drop the blade into a sharps container or counter box, with no handling of contaminated sharps. Once the procedure has ended the handle can be disassembled by the decontamination and reprocessing centre ready for cleaning.

Cygnetic has been trialled at the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals. Consultant orthopaedic surgeon, Mr A J Hamer, comments on the new range of Swann-Morton products: “The feel, weight and balance are good. I found removing and detaching the blades straightforward.”

Following a demonstration to Gill Cryan, assistant manager, sterile services, 31 experienced decontamination staff carried out a disassembly and reassembly routine on a Cygnetic handle on average ten times each over a 24hr period. Staff commented that the routine was relatively easy, taken within the context of the usual day-to-day tasks faced by the decontamination unit.

Initially the range will include four stainless-steel blade shapes, the CYG 10, CYG 11, CYG 15 and CYG 20, available in boxes of 50.

To find out more about the full range of Swann-Morton’s orthopaedic products, which includes the traditional Swann-Major range, and to discuss the benefits of Cygnetic with senior management and product specialists, visit stand 72 at COMOC, which will be held 12-17 September at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre in Glasgow, Scotland.