STARSystem- a complete, clinically engineered solution for radial access procedures

The design brief was to develop a product that would facilitate radial artery access in the arm. Dr Mark Webster initially described a device that would allow quick and easy adjustment to suit any patient. The design must; - Improve patient comfort. - Be radiolucent for wire manipulation through the arm - Be easy to install and adjust for patient and procedural requirements. - Be compatible with commercially available imaging tables/existing lab equipment. - Be light weight, compact for storage, handling and shipping. The current method utilises a variety of rolled up towels assembled together to suit each specific patient and takes time without repeatability.

The STARSystem has been designed to combine three functional elements to form a complete radial artery access solution. The STARBoard includes friction joints and articulating arms, which self-adjust to fit all patient arm lengths. The STARTable is comprised of two components. The vertical shield contains 0.5mm of lead (Pb), offering scatter radiation protection to the clinician, whilst the adjustable shelf provides support for catheters, wires and other light-weight equipment. The STARSupport clips onto the STARBoard to facilitate left arm radial procedures by supporting the upper arm and presenting the wrist in an elevated position across the abdomen of the patient.

The STARSystem is rapidly gaining significant market share worldwide in the Interventional Cardiology, Radiology and Neuro-Radiology fields. As of February 2020, we have sold 1557 units of the STARSystem, since its initial release in 2015. The success of the STARSystem has allowed Adept Medical to become established in the niche image-guided therapy market and has enabled us to set the standard in patient positioning and support to benefit procedural outcomes, patient comfort and operator safety.

Gaining and maintaining hyper-extension of the patient’s wrist is essential to comfortably achieve radial access. The Wrist Pivot feature allows the wrist to be fully rotated, presenting it optimally for hyper-extension. Friction joints can be tightened to ensure patient security. After access has been gained, the handle can be medially rotated back towards the patient, ensuring comfort for the remainder of the procedure. Carbon fibre composite and high-performance engineering plastics have been used throughout the STARSystem due to their lightweight, durable and radiolucent qualities. As the STARSystem is used during imaged-guided procedures, radiolucency is important to allow the surgeon full x-ray visibility throughout the procedure. Given the extensive range of imaging centres and lab tables on the market, it was essential that the design is compatible across all models. The flat under mattress base board design of the STARBoard and STARTable feature ensures full compatibility with all operating tables and existing lab equipment and provides easy set-up and removal. The STARSupport has been designed to simply clip onto the STARBoard, when required. Operator safety is a concern during image-guided procedures and therefore the STARTable is a valuable additional component, containing 0.5mm of Lead (Pb) to provide superior scatter radiation protection.