Commitment to Social Responsibility

Our mission is to enhance the quality of care of every patient. To ensure the highest level of care, we are committed to teach and train healthcare professionals on the safe and efficacious use of our products. Whenever possible, inanimate methods and models are used for teaching and training healthcare professionals. When training objectives can not be adequately addressed through these alternatives, it becomes necessary to use laboratory animals. The use of animals to train healthcare professionals ultimately minimizes risks to all patients during clinical treatment.

It is our commitment, policy and highest priority to treat laboratory animals humanely and with respect. Lab sessions are conducted only after the appropriate Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) approval is obtained. We require that all sponsored sessions are conducted in accordance with the Animal Welfare Act (Title 7 United States Code Section 2131 et. seq.) and the National Institute of Health Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. In addition, licensed surgeons and health-care professionals are always present to serve as faculty advisers and to ensure that the highest standards of compliance are observed.

Our position is supported by regulatory standards regarding the use of laboratory animals in the process of developing new medical devices, e.g., the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (as amended by the FDA Modernization Act of 1997). Additionally, we comply with guidelines stating the need for animal studies prior to any human exposure as outlined in the World Medical Association’s Declaration of Helsinki, Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects.

As the worldwide leader in energy-based surgery we hold ourselves to the highest standards for the evaluation, development and implementation of alternative teaching and training modalities.