Peninsula BioMedical is a company started in 1996 by Dr. Tony Reid. Dr. Reid is a medical oncologist who recognized his patients were developing lymphedema. He furthered his education by attaining a second degree in vascular medicine & invented the ReidSleeve to help his patients. Peninsula BioMedical has gone on to design several more compression products & a few ancillary items. The compression products include sleeves for the arms & legs which use chip foam to provide pressure to both high & low points. While all their products were designed to be worn at night &/or to reduce or eliminate the need for bandaging, they do offer a daytime garment called The Jazz. They also offer a reduction product called the ReidSleeve. Their non-elastic compression product lines for upper & lower extremity include:

MILD LYMPHEDEMA
– The Jazz: A slim, lightweight product designed for daytime wear

MILD to MODERATE LYMPHEDEMA
– OptiFlow Comfort Sleeve: Similar to the ReidSleeve Classic but lighter & cooler with an optional Power Sleeve to increase compression; extends to the wrist with a separate hand piece
– Comfort Plus: Uses a denser foam than the OptiFlow & extends to the base of the fingers
– Opera: Similar to the OptiFlow designs but lighter & slimmer still (made for the upper extremity only)
– OptiFlow RM: A less expensive, ready made option to the above items; a foot piece can be ordered as well

MODERATE to SEVERE LYMPHEDEMA
– OptiFlow EC: Designed to reduce bandaging steps, this sleeve is typically worn under bandages but it can also be used as a liner during pump use
– OptiFlow SC: Containing 8-10 mmHg, this sleeve is made to be worn during pump but it can also be worn at other times & with an outer “Power Sleeve” for increased compression
– TheCinch: A Velcro brace designed to be applied outside the OptiFlow EC, eliminating the need for bandaging
– The ReidSleeve Classic: A Velcro sleeve reduction product with a soft foam core that provides gentle, gradient pressure; a pressure gauze can be used to measure the amount of compression applied

One unique feature for this company is they have a refurbish program for their ReidSleeve Classic garment. After the first year, this garment can be refurbished (i.e. refitted for a reduced cost). If a garment needs resized within the first year, however, the initial refitting is done without cost. In either case, the garment must be washed or a cleaning fee will be applied. For more information, visit www.reidsleeve.com.

A competitor & predecessor to Solaris, JoViPak also makes nighttime compression garments & all products are made in the U.S.A. However, one unique feature is they provide post-operative compression, too.

Founded in 2000 by Joann Rovig, a cancer survivor, JoViPak has an inspirational beginning. Joann had just finished training to become a massage therapist when she learned she had cancer & would likely develop lymphedema as a result of treatment. Recognizing there were not many lymphedema therapists in the United States & none in the northwest, she decided to educate herself by going to the Vodder School in Austria. After opening a clinic to treat others, she found her patients were overwhelmed with self-bandaging. She came up with a chipped foam sleeve to reduce the steps in bandaging & JoViPak was born.

JoViPak products include sleeves, liners & post-operative chest compression & are divided into areas of the body as follows:

UPPER BODY

Armsleeves

Glove

Head & Neck

Torso/Chest

 

LOWER BODY

Leg & foot liners & compression including a rehab line (with Velcro) for acute injuries & easier donning

Genital pads & all-purpose pads to improve lymph flow as well as to break down fibrosis

 

Find out more at www.jovipak.com/ or visit www.ltscompression.com.

Solaris is a compression competitor with a few unique aspects. For one, they are based in the United States. For another, they sell a readymade flat-knit garment. And last, they were founded by a therapist who treated lymphedema patients. Who better to understand patient needs than a therapist?

Located in Wisconsin, Kathy Weatherly (occupational therapist) opened Solaris in 1998 when she was looking for products which made bandaging easier & were more useful for her patients. She came up with the Tribute night garment & then developed the Readywrap & other product lines they make today. Kathy is still active in her company, providing support to DME providers & educating others about lymphedema.

Products include day & night sleeves, bandaging sleeves, Velcro options, hose/sleeves & fibrosis aids. Most products can be readymade or custom. The major lines are:

• Tribute (night compression sleeve with compression)
  • Special pricing for clients under 14 years of age
• Caresia (bandage sleeve without compression used to reduce layers & steps in bandaging)
• Readywrap (Velcro compression)
  • For leg/arm swelling
  • A unique foot piece with has individual toe compression
• Exo (hose/sleeves)
  • ExoStrong (readymade flat-knit)
  • ExoSheer (circular-knit)
  • ExoSoft (circular-knit)
  • ExoFusion (providing foot compression only in the form of a knee-high sock)
• Swell Spots (fibrosis aids for all areas of the body)

Find out more at www.solarismed.com/products or visit www.ltscompression.com.

Medi sells a variety of compression, orthotics & prosthetics, making them a competitor to Jobst-BSN Medical.  Medi began in 1920 in Pausa, Saxony (Germany) by Albert Weihermuller & Berthold Voigtmann. They developed their first seamless elastic stocking in 1964 & continued their innovation a few years later with additional creations.  In 1982, Medi made its way to the United States & founded Medi USA.  As for compression, they not only have their original lines of Mediven but also added Circaid (for lymphedema & venous disorders), CEP (for athletes) & ITEM m6 (for fashion compression wear).  For our purposes, we will focus on their Ready to wear, Custom & Velcro options (of Mediven & Circaid).

In the Ready to Wear department, they have sleeves & several stocking lines as well as a dual-layer compression for those with wounds.

For Custom, they have a rare fit guarantee (they’ll remake a garment until it fits properly).  They have a line with zinc for anti-bacterial properties & one with silver.

For Velcro, they sell Circaid which has a couple lines that cover both the lower & upper extremities.  One such line is Juxtafit which has a unique feature – compression for the thigh & knee in one piece.  Few (if any) competitors offer a full, seamless compression option transitioning from the knee up (reducing gaps in compression sometimes caused by separate pieces).

Last but not least, they have a selection of donning aids like the Butler (which comes in numerous options), the Butler Off doffing aid & gloves which can make putting on & taking off medical compression easier.

Find out more at www.mediusa.com or visit www.ltscompression.com.