Paris, France | November 2021 – During this years Global Spine Congress (GSC) joimax® CEO & Founder, Wolfgang Ries, sat down with GSC Chairman, Jeffery Wang, MD, PhD, to talk about the 20 years success of the company, education with the ESPINEA® Endoscopic Spine Academy and the future of endoscopic spine surgery!
Watch more interesting videos on our YouTube Channel!
Karlsruhe (GER) – joimax®, the German-based market leader in technologies and training methods for full-endoscopic and minimally invasive spinal surgery, is pleased to announce a new partnership with Australian medical device distributor, LifeHealthcare. The two companies have entered into a long-term relationship to provide a broader surgical choice for patients considering spinal surgery.
“We’re looking forward to working with a partner as strong as LifeHealthcare,” says joimax® Founder and CEO Wolfgang Ries. “LifeHealthcare shares our goals and vision, ensuring that we are able to deliver the highest standards of patient care.”
Endoscopic spine surgery has been steadily growing in popularity since the late 1990’s with exponential growth in the technique for the past ten years. Surgeons throughout the world have reported that this type of surgery can assist patients in faster recovery, enabling them to reduce their post-operative stay.
“We’re very pleased to collaborate with joimax®,” comments LifeHealthcare Chief Executive Officer Matt Muscio. “Endoscopic spine surgery is a technique that enables patients to have access to truly minimally invasive surgical procedures of the spine.”
Thus, joimax® strengthens its sales activities in Australia and enters into another important partnership across APAC.
About LifeHealthcare
LifeHealthcare is a leading independent provider of healthcare solutions in Australia and New Zealand bringing healthcare professionals innovative medical devices by partnering with world class companies who share the vision of innovation and making a real difference to people’s lives. LifeHealthcare has been recognised as one of the Financial Times 1,000 High Growth Companies in Asia-Pacific. In May 2018, LifeHealthcare was acquired by Australia’s largest private equity fund, Pacific Equity Partners, a market leader that has been recognised as a Top 20 Consistent Performer Globally by Prequin. For further information, please visit www.lifehealthcare.com.au.
Karlsruhe (GER), 26 June 2020 – joimax®, the German-based market leader in technologies and training methods for full-endoscopic and minimally invasive spinal surgery, is pleased to announce a new countrywide distributor in Taiwan, Hi-Clearance Inc. With the aim of building an effective, long-term relationship, the strategic supplier partnership is a further milestone in the international growth of joimax® .
“Hi-Clearance is our ideal sales and service partner,” says joimax® CEO and Founder Mr. Wolfgang Ries. With their streamlined structure and process in place, we are confident joimax® will penetrate this new market very successfully”.
Hi-Clearance Inc. has over 239 employees, and is a well-known supplier of medical materials and equipment in Taiwan. “We are very pleased about the new strategic partnership and are excited to continue the strong growth of both companies,” states Hi-Clearance Chairman Mr. John Lee and President Mr. Ernie Chen. “We are dedicated to establishing joimax® as the leading brand of endoscopic spine surgery in Taiwan.”
Hi-Clearance Inc. is headquartered in Taipei with four other branches spread across the country. The main business includes products for Hemodialysis, Critical Care, Dental, Cardiology, Homecare Devices, Nutrition and a major Spine Surgery Division. In 2019, sales were USD 107 million.
Karlsruhe (GER) — joimax®, the Germany-based market leader of technologies and training methods for full-endoscopic minimally-invasive spinal surgery, held its first online global symposium, “Endoscopic Spine Surgery – Indications, Technology and Limitations”, at its headquarters in the Training and Education Center (TEC) in Karlsruhe-Germany, on April 24-25, 2020.
In view of the coronavirus restrictions introduced by many governments, in March, joimax® began holding weekly webinars, in partnership with key surgeons, to demonstrate the latest endoscopic techniques. The training sessions culminated with a two-day Symposium, full of live discussions and video demonstrations, scheduled during Western and Eastern time zones.
On April 24, joimax® Founder and CEO Wolfgang Ries, moderated a panel with faculty members Ralf Wagner, MD (Ligamenta Spine Center Frankfurt-Germany) and Christoph Hofstetter, MD, PhD (University of Washington Medicine, Neurosurgery Department, Seattle/USA). The following day, faculty member, Junseok Bae, MD (President of Wooridul Spine Hospital Seoul, South Korea), joined the panel.
On both days, the agenda included a theoretical part focused on transforaminal and interlaminar indications, and the general possibilities of endoscopy from lumbar to thoracic to cervical, as well as a hands-on lab portion. In the wet lab, Dr. Ralf Wagner demonstrated the joimax® product application of TESSYS® and iLESSYS® in specific indications. Moreover, there were presentations of Intracs® em , the first electromagnetic system for endoscopic spine applications that can navigate instruments directly at the tip. This navigation system combines lateral and AP images of the C-arm with CT scan, providing surgeons with most accurate views of the target region.
The Symposium also featured special guests: Dr. Menno Iprenburg (Iprenburg Spine Clinic, Veenhuizen, Netherlands) and Prof. Alastair Gibson (The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Scotland); both board members of ESPINEA® Academy, who gave their valued input, based on their long-lasting experience.
“This is the future of digital education and a great way to virtually meet and learn,” stated Dr. Iprenburg. Prof. Gibson added, “excellent Symposium; it couldn’t get any better”.
The Symposium marked a major milestone, with 430 participants. Surgeons from all over the world joined this unique online education program and stimulating Q&A session.
When safe, joimax® will transition back to on-site workshops and trainings, but in the meantimewill continue with its attention-grabbing online webinars.
Karlsruhe, GER– July 15, 2019 –joimax®, the Germany-based market leader of technologies and training methods for full-endoscopic minimally-invasive spinal surgery, announces the official sales launch of its complete EndoLIF® family. EndoLIF® is an instrument set for endoscopic-assisted minimally invasive lumbar interbody fusion. As already announced and showcased at earlier events, the EndoLIF® product line consists of three members now: the well-known EndoLIF® O/On-Cage, the EndoLIF® Delta Cage, and the latest EndoLIF® Double Wedge Cage. The complete EndoLIF® product family is now CE-approved and fully available. Moreover, the EndoLIF® O/On-Cage is FDA-approved.
All EndoLIF® Implants are manufactured using a 3D printing process, which ensures an open diamond cell structure. The cages are safely implanted via the guide wire and are fillable with bone or bone substitute material. With their rough and porous surface, the implants guarantee optimal bone ingrowth, stability and finally fusion.
The EndoLIF® Cage family provides the right implant for every patient and is the perfect solution for endoscopic spinal fusion. With the gentle and atraumatic access via gradual tissue dilatation, muscles remain intact leaving important biomechanical structures in place after surgery.
Like with any endoscopic procedure compared to open surgery, all advantages for fusion are now given with the EndoLIF® program also. With one EndoLIF® Instrument Set all three cages of the EndoLIF® family can be implemented.
Dr. Florian Zentz, (Munich, GER) emphasizes “the extraordinarily high primary stability of the EndoLIF® DoubleWedge-Cage”. He continues enthusiastically: “After insertion the cage sits very firmly in the intervertebral disc space and adjusts the angulation up to 18 degrees, almost directly enabling an optimal lordosis correction.”
Dr. Ralf Wagner, (Frankfurt, GER) is also convinced of the obvious advantages: “The Delta Cage is ideal for the posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) offering a gentle posterior alternative, especially at level L5-S1 with its large interlaminar window.
IRVINE, CA – May 13, 2019 – joimax®,, the Germany-based market leader of technologies and training methods for full-endoscopic, minimally-invasive spinal surgery, is showcasing its Integrated Navigation Tracking & Control System, Intracs®em, at this year’s Global Spine Congress (GSC), which is currently being held in Toronto, Canada. The company is also promoting the system at the annual meeting of the German Society of Neurosurgery (DGNC), being held concurrently in Wurzburg, Germany.
The Intracs®em electromagnetic navigation system is simple to set up, very user-friendly, and seamlessly integrates into the joimax® endoscopic tower. It allows for navigation during any endoscopic procedure performed with the joimax® endoscopic surgical systems, TESSYS® (transforaminal) and iLESSYS® (interlaminar). Beyond that, it can serve as a stand-alone device.
The system relies on electromagnetic tracking, affording simultaneous navigation of multiple instruments such as needles, guiding rods, reamers and endoscopes. It was developed by joimax® for easy planning of endoscopic approaches to the spine, as well as other minimally invasive procedures, like percutaneous fusions.
Various Intracs®em sensors guarantee the highest accuracy. Plus, for the patients’ benefit, the procedure can be carried out without further X-ray control – only starting X-rays are required. As a result, access, intervention time, and radiation exposure, are reduced to a minimum.
The system is CE-Marked. Currently, clinical trials and applications are running in Europe and Asia, where the product has already launched. In specific Asian countries, like Taiwan, the first systems have been sold and shipped.
Users are very impressed with the usability of the system. “I didn’t expect that navigation for both transforaminal and interlaminar procedures can be made so easy and that the set-up time can be so much streamlined,“ states Prof. Michael Kraus, spine specialist in Augsburg, Germany. “And for the thoracic approach, it is so precise and a tremendous help,” continues Dr. Erik Traupe, spine specialist in Munich, Germany.
The launch of Intracs®em is a key milestone for joimax®. As part of its global strategy, joimax® is providing surgeons, worldwide, with the devices they need for safe, easy and gentle spinal therapies, with US-FDA submission planned for Q2, 2019. “We are committed to overcoming any obstacles and concerns related to minimally invasive, endoscopic spine surgery,” states joimax® CEO and Founder Wolfgang Ries. “Our success lies with our innovative, user-friendly devices and instruments, and our ability to provide both doctor and patient with outstanding safety built into our systems.” Moreover, a well established and targeted clinical training program for the spinal surgical community, named CM3, rounds out the joimax® educational offering. Earlier this year, joimax® launched ESPINEA®, an Endoscopic Spine Academy focused on a complete endoscopic spine curriculum. Designed as a full training program to elevate surgeons to the next level of expertise, ESPINEA® offers professional and high-quality education for endoscopic spine treatment specialists, worldwide. The ESPINEA® Training and Education Centers are located in Karlsruhe, Germany in the newly opened joimax® building, and in Irvine, CA, where joimax® opened new labs and training rooms last November.
Karlsruhe, GER– April 18, 2019 – joimax®, the Germany-based market leader of technologies and training methods for full-endoscopic, minimally-invasive spinal surgery, is presenting its complete product portfolio at the 48th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society for Spine Surgery and Related Research (JSSR). The annual meeting is currently underway running April 18-20, 2019 in Yokohama, Japan.
Earlier this year, joimax® announced its partnership with United Biomech Japan, Inc., who is overseeing distribution of the complete joimax® product line throughout Japan. Approval of the Pharmaceutical Medicals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) is expected within the next couple of months.
“The Japanese market is characterized by a strong demand for innovative products on endoscopic spinal surgery,” explained United Biomech Japan, Inc. Executive Kazuya Oribe. “The interest at our booth is overwhelming. There are approximately one thousand Japanese surgeons that are now already interested in doing endoscopic spinal surgery.”
“The patients’ demand for gentle surgery methods that result in a very quick recovery, is continuously increasing,” said joimax® Group Founder and CEO Wolfgang Ries. “Our entrance into the Japanese market is another milestone in expanding our global presence to offer superior medical products. Coupled with an outstanding, international training and education program, we’ve positioned ourselves for long-term growth.”
Karlsruhe (GER) / Irvine, CA – December 6, 2018 – joimax®, the Germany-based market leader of technologies and training methods for full-endoscopic minimally-invasive spinal surgery, is well positioned for Germany’s principal spine convention, German Spine Society (DWG), taking place December 6 to 8 in Wiesbaden, Germany.
This year, joimax® is focusing on their Endoscopic Tower Generation 4 Devices, an expert solution for spinal surgery. They will showcase the new Camsource® LED, a fully integrated camera and light source system that delivers brilliant images up to 4K; and the Vitegra®, the integrated visualization, documentation and commanding device. This marks the global launch of both devices, including in Europe, Asia, and the United States.
Moreover, joimax® will exhibit its EndoLIF® product line: the well-known 3D-printed EndoLIF® O/On-Cage, the EndoLIF® Delta Cage, and the EndoLIF® Double Wedge Cage (approval expected shortly).
“The main advantage of the EndoLIF® Implants is the gentle and atraumatic access via gradual tissue dilatation — muscles remain intact and infection risk is reduced. Using 3D-printing technology, an open diamond cell structure, and a rough and porous surface, leads to optimal bone ingrowth, stability and finally fusion,” states Wolfgang Ries, Founder and CEO of the joimax® Group. “Even awake, fusion with very fast patient recovery has started to be realized on the base of endoscopic minimally-invasive techniques.”
Additionally, joimax® will show Intracs® em, the first complete electromagnetic navigation system for endoscopic minimally invasive spine surgery. Intracs® is an easy to set up, user-friendly system that can serve as a stand-alone device. It relies on electromagnetic tracking and was designed specifically for simple and safe access to any spinal target. It’s the only device on the market that allows for simultaneous navigation of multiple instruments such as needles, guiding rods, reamers, and endoscopes, also developed by joimax®.
Besides an expanded booth presence with daily Meet-the-Expert Sessions, joimax® will again host two lunch symposiums on endoscopic spinal procedures: one covering endoscopic pain therapy, and the other addressing diverse intracanal surgical treatment modalities, including endoscopic fusion.
