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Seven years and 70,000 patients helped with Arbutus Medical’s affordable and safe orthopedic tools

This week Arbutus Medical celebrates its seven-year anniversary by announcing new milestones in the number of patients who were able to have safe surgeries thanks to our affordable surgical drills and kits.

Founded in 2014 by a group of biomedical engineers from the University of British Columbia’s Engineers in Scrubs program, Arbutus Medical is still committed to simplifying orthopedic surgery to enable safe surgery for all by providing simple orthopedic tools that reduce the cost of surgery for hospitals and patients. Using patented DrillCover technology, Arbutus Medical provides safe, reliable, high-quality, and affordable surgical tools. To date, we have shipped products capable of safely treating more than 70,000 human patients and 38,000 animal patients across more than 36 countries worldwide.

“When we started, we wanted to create radically affordable orthopedic tools that would break down barriers to safe surgery,” says Lawrence Buchan, co-founder, and CEO of Arbutus Medical. “This year we expanded our product offerings as well. On top of our popular Drillcover Hex, SawCover System, and DrillCover Pro Systems, we are now offering trauma centers the Skeletal Traction Procedure Kit. It’s exciting to see our surgical tools being used in hospitals, veterinarian offices, and military medicine. We’re well on our way to enabling five million surgeries by 2030.”

Through expert medical engineering and an ethos of frugal innovation, Arbutus Medical has designed and commercialized a portfolio of medical devices that can improve care for millions of patients worldwide. The DrillCover Technology is a reusable liquid and pathogen-proof sterile enclosure that envelopes a non-sterile tool and fully seals the power transmission through the sterile barrier. It provides surgeons with an orthopedic drill at a significantly lower price than traditional medical power tools, providing a safe and sterile power tool alternative that is also lightweight and packable.

The Skeletal Traction Procedure Kit, launched this year, provides trauma centers with a comprehensive kit that enables them to effectively perform skeletal traction while maintaining sterility. Hospitals across North America are starting to put the kits into use with great success.

“We’ve seen a lot of success over the past seven years, including raising more than $6 million in investments for our company,” adds Buchan. “Our team has grown and diversified, and we’re so proud of what we’ve achieved together.”

The team at Arbutus Medical brings together expertise and experience from around the world, including those who have worked in Mexico, Africa, Hungary, and Australia.