Pneumatic Compression Device Helps Remove Lodged Rings

A non-invasive, non-destructive device helps remove rings stuck due to finger swelling, a common issue in many emergency departments (EDs) and surgical suites.

The Ring Rescue (Dartmouth, Canada) Ring Rescue is a pneumatic device that provides uniform, measurable air pressure to decrease finger swelling, and therefore finger size, so that the constricted ring can be removed. In essence a tourniquet, the device is simply applied an inflated within seconds. Several minutes later, the device is removed from the finger, and the stuck ring can be removed intact. In addition to medical uses, Ring Rescue is also suitable for jewelry stores, providing a service for customers with finger swelling that may preclude ring removal for resizing.

“Patients often need rings removed before surgery or after an injury,” said orthopedic surgeon John Haverstock, MD, of Halton Healthcare (Oakville, Canada). “Recently, a patients’ Blue Jays World Series Championship Ring was stuck and the swelling was progressing. Ring Rescue allowed me to remove this without cutting, a huge relief to both myself and my patient.”

Many materials used to fabricate rings, especially tungsten and titanium, are technically very difficult to cut, even with high-end electronic ring-cutting equipment. In addition, ring cutting takes precious time, and can cause further injuries, such as lacerations, or burns due to high velocity filings that generate heat. The Penrose and elastic-band methods of finger swelling reduction are very operator-dependent, and are also time consuming and can be difficult to delegate effectively.

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