Review of EchoStim Product

EchoStim® by Havels, is a relatively new product released in October of 2007,  and  is the first product of Havels that has shown a mass market appeal.  Last year Havels met their forecast for the year by June, and they are on track to double those numbers in 2009.
Peripheral nerve blocks (PNBs) have grown at an incredible rate over the last decade with the increased use of nerve stimulators.  In the last 5 years many have turned to ultrasound guidance as  a safer more effective option for PNBs since it helps physicians identify the targeted nerves, and avoid the arteries, veins, and lungs. Ultrasound also allows physicians to see the anesthetic encircle the nerve, confirming the block’s success.  Needles that have been available prior to the EchoStim® do not show up under ultrasound in any special way, and the tip of the needle was nearly impossible to see. Physicians could see the needle shaft and the nerve, but would have to guess as to the location of the tip by jiggling the needle to see tissue movement, or injecting fluid which may cloud their view of the nerve.
At an ultrasound workshop in 2004, Havel’s identified the unmet demand for needles that worked with nerve stimulators and also appeared echogenic or hyperechoic under ultrasound. At that point, Havels started R&D to come up with the EchoStim® product. After several prototypes and a lengthy FDA approval process the EchoStim® was approved in April of 2007 and officially started shipping at the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) show in October of 2007.  Now rather than jiggling tissue or injecting fluid, practitioners can simply rotate the EchoStim®, see the Corner Cube Reflectors (CCR) near the tip, and know where the tip of their needle is located.
Havels recently responded to the growing demand for the EchoStim® in Canada by partnering with CHS Canadian Hospital Specialties—who are now  the exclusive distributor of EchoStim® in Canada.

Founded in 1981 in the owner’s basement, Havels has grown to become the leader in the niche market for odd and unusual sized specialty needles and blades required by hospitals in Anesthesiology, Radiology, Surgery, Histology, Pathology, and other departments in the hospital. Havels niche business  fills a need that larger companies are not willing to meet because of  low volumes. The success of the EchoStim® has not affected this commitment to the niche market, as obesity in the U.S. has made Havel’s original lengths common. Havel’s currently offers customers even longer needles, such as 8” Tuohys and 12” Spinals. Now with the mass appeal and success of the EchoStim® and the current products in R&D, Havel’s is poised to become a leader in Echogenic medical devices

Anesthesiologists and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNAs) that use needles for  peripheral nerve blocks or regional anesthesia rather than general anesthesia.  Regional Anesthesia continues to grow as many surgeries move out of the hospital and into Surgery Centers that need mobile patients  ready to go home in 23 hours or less.

EchoStim® helps practitioners identify the location of the needle’s tip under ultrasound during a single shot peripheral nerve block.  The product has three Corner Cube Reflectors (CCR Marks) which create multiple angled surfaces near the tip of the needle that reflect sound waves back to the transducer even at steep  insertion angles and up to 6” deep in the body.  The EchoStim® provides practitioners with the comfort of knowing exactly where the tip of their needle is located. Some new to ultrasound in anesthesia may have not seen an ultrasound machine since college. The ability to identify one more item under ultrasound can really set one’s mind at ease.  If physicians can see the tip of the needle it  will help and encourage them as they work to learn the procedure.  The result is a greater number of practitioners using ultrasound in anesthesia, which will hopefully  lead to safer more effective nerve blocks.

The market leader in insulated nerve block needles is B. Braun.  The EchoStim® is very similar in style and performance to the Braun product, and is compatible with the Braun Nerve Stimulators.  The most notable difference is that the Braun product is not echogenic and the EchoStim® is echogenic.

Ultrasound in anesthesia is growing at an incredible rate, with an ultrasound workshop taking place somewhere nearly every weekend.  For those doctors who have been avoiding ultrasound procedures, the EchoStim® needle gives them an opportunity to feel more confident and comfortable while they learn.  The EchoStim® is making nerve location safer for the patient and easier for the practitioner. Current customers indicate the EchoStim® is priced about the same or less than  the Braun, Life-Tech, or Arrow products; however, with the EchoStim®, doctors and CRNAs gain the added benefit of an FDA-approved echogenic product.