[23. November 2011 - 12:38]

Meet customers' wishes with flexibility

Tuttlingen, November 2011 - The medical device manufacturer and specialist in mobile OR-tables BERCHTOLD has redesigned its proven OR-table models, the OPERON D 850, D 820 and D 760. Users are now able to configure the tables individually so that they meet the requirements of the intended surgical discipline and access to the surgery site.

With the new, three-stage configuration principle for BERCHTOLD OR-tables, each user receives precisely the table he needs, which is less costly than many expensive purpose-built tables and is suitable for all operating procedures. "We have expanded our OR-table portfolio incrementally, and today, with new components and a sales software program designed especially for OPERON, we are able to adapt each OR-table individually", says Stefan Kreidler, product manager for OR-tables at the Tuttlingen company. "With the BERCHTOLD software, any conceivable table variant can be turned into a standard product, which can be made available very quickly."

Flexible tables make hospital routine easier and are more economical
All OPERON tables also meet the highest possible standards of safety and quality. High-grade materials and fully developed technical components enable unrestricted handling with patients weighing up to 450 kilograms. With the aid of components at the OPERON coupling points, the surgical tabletop can be shortened or extended, and equipped with special accessories for various patient positions. The tabletops and special accessories are also interchangeable, and can be retrofitted at any time. "This modular design helps to make work in the OR more efficient, because conversion times are shorter", stresses Kreidler. He goes on: "These days, modern OR-tables have to be so flexible in order to be able to use them with new technologies at all times." For example, the OPERON tables are ideal for robot-assisted surgery. Their low minimum height and good access to the table mean that both the equipment and the patient can be positioned with extreme precision.

Three steps to the ideal OR-table
With the new OR-table concept, the user advances step by step towards his individual end product. First he selects a base table according to its height-adjustment range and positioning surface type - with or without longitudinal slide. The OPERON D 850 has the largest height-adjustment range, from 580 to 1,180 millimetres, and as such it is ideal for operating while standing or sitting. The D 850 and D 820 have a motorised longitudinal slide of 423 millimetres. The D 760 is not equipped with a longitudinal slide. For the next stage, the configuration of the tabletop, a wide range of plates for the head, back and legs are then available.  In the third step, the OR-table is equipped with a selection from the extensive BERCHTOLD accessories programme either to create a standard table or with special accessories so it can be used for complex surgical procedures.

Modular and endowed with many functions
The OPERON is not only remarkable for its modular construction, but also for its functional equipment. For example, equipment variants that originally appeared exclusively on the OPERON D 850, such as the levelling adjustment, are now available as options for all three base tables. Four cylinders, integrated at each corner in the table base, detect surface unevenness completely automatically, compensate for it and so ensure that the table is always perfectly stable. A hand pendant with clean design and background light is also available now for any base table. The background light enables the table to be manoeuvred safely in darkened rooms, for example during endoscopic procedures. In addition, a second "emergency hand pendant" is now part of the standard equipment on all tables. In conjunction with a foot pump, the table can thus be adjusted manually at any time.

The surgical tabletop can consist optionally of extremely durable carbon fibre or phenol plates. The main advantage of carbon fibre plastic is that it is lighter than phenol and the individual plates are easier to handle. At the same time, radiation exposure is also significantly lower when X-rays are taken, so there is less burden on the patient and the OR team. Phenol is the more attractive alternative from the point of view of cost. All tables offer a wide imaging window and optimum conditions for unobstructed access with the C-arm. In addition, the tables are equipped with a full-length, continuous X-ray cassette tunnel, even in the area above the column. This helps ensure superior results with traditional X-ray imaging as well.

To ensure the most effective prevention of decubitus, the surgical tabletop of all tables can be fitted with gel pads or high-quality viscoelastic and thermoactive foam. Both pads adjust snugly to fit the body, thus ensuring that pressure is distributed over a wide area, and protect patients from bedsores. With the InstaDrive traction drive all table models can be moved easily and smoothly by just one person, even when bearing obese patients weighing up to 450 kilograms.

The ideal position for each patient
More components have just been added. The split back plate, for example, can be used to optimise the position for patients of different heights. For this, the OR personnel uses one or both of the split plate subsections. Besides the standard head rest, BERCHTOLD also offers a double-jointed head rest that lends optimum support to the patient's neck in the tilted position and anatomically correct positioning of the cervical spine and head in the lateral position. The medical device manufacturer is also currently developing a short version of the split leg plate as an alternative to the long version. This provides the surgeon the best possible access to the abdominal region from the legs. In order to serve the international markets better, a seat plate without kidney elevator is now available as well. "Different markets have different requirements. As a customer-oriented company, we take the wishes of our customers very seriously and cater to all of their needs", says the product manager.

OPERON D 820 base version with double-jointed head rest, split back and leg plate.
 

With the new BERCHTOLD modularity principle, every table can be configured individually and economically.

With the OPERON coupling points, additional components can be added to OR-tables quickly and easily.