B. Braun and Philips join forces on ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia

Leveraging the companies’ combined clinical expertise and R&D capabilities, as well as sales and service channels, B. Braun and Philips are jointly developing and commercializing solutions to support anesthesiologists and hospitals in critical areas of regional anesthesia. Regional anesthesia or analgesia involves the injection of an anesthetic in the proximity of a nerve, targeting areas of a patient’s body that are subject to surgical intervention. Regional anesthesia can have significant advantages over general anesthesia for both patients and hospitals. Patients undergoing regional anesthesia typically benefit from reduced opioid consumption and fewer side-effects, such as nausea. Moreover, regional anesthesia may lead to faster post-surgical recovery, allowing patients to ambulate or leave the hospital sooner, which benefits both patients and hospitals. However, regional anesthesia and especially peripheral nerve blocks are not easy to perform. Maximizing anesthetic effectiveness and preventing damage to the targeted nerve or other tissue structures depends on the accurate placement of the needle tip through which the anesthetic will be injected or a catheter will be placed. Hence, there is a real need for innovations that continually improve the safety, effectiveness, and efficiency of regional anesthesia procedures. „Our customers are looking for fully integrated system solutions that address all aspects of their everyday work in caring for patients, including the enhanced efficiency needed to meet ever-increasing demand for their services,” said Dr. Meinrad Lugan, Member of the Board for the Hospital Care Division at B. Braun. „This new alliance with Philips illustrates our commitment to sharing expertise, not only with our customers, but also with other key technology players, to meet healthcare needs and challenges faced today and into the future.” „Philips and B. Braun have a worldwide reputation for clinical innovations and a shared commitment to work with patients and care providers to optimize healthcare delivery and improve patient outcomes,” said Rob Cascella, Chief Business Leader of the Diagnosis & Treatment Businesses at Philips. „By partnering with B. Braun, we have created a solution for ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia comprising the Xperius ultrasound system, decision support software, echogenic needles, and a suite of services. We look forward to jointly developing further innovations. This new alliance is a great example of our commitment to partnering with industry leaders with complementary skills to increase our footprint in the therapy market.” The Xperius platform will be co-branded and sold via B. Braun’s global sales network, with Philips providing installation and service.