Nova Scotia medical device by Ring Rescue appears on The Pitt

A Nova Scotia medical device developed by Ring Rescue and connected to Atlantic Canada’s research ecosystem will appear on the hit emergency-medicine drama The Pitt

From the NS Health Innovation Hub (Allison Currie) and the Springboard Content Lab

Key takeaways

• A Nova Scotia medical device developed by Ring Rescue will appear on the medical drama The Pitt, bringing international attention to Atlantic Canada’s medtech innovation ecosystem.
• The Ring Rescue ring removal system developed in Nova Scotia is a medical innovation gaining international attention and part of Atlantic Canada’s growing medtech ecosystem.
• The device was developed with connections to Dalhousie University and addresses a real emergency-medicine challenge: safely removing rings from swollen fingers without injury.
• Springboard Atlantic connects companies with research expertise across 19 universities and colleges in Atlantic Canada.

Summary

A medical device developed in Nova Scotia by Ring Rescue will appear on the hit emergency-medicine television series The Pitt. The technology helps clinicians safely remove stuck rings from swollen fingers and is already used in hospitals across Canada and the United States. The story highlights how research and innovation connected to Dalhousie University and Atlantic Canada’s medtech ecosystem are producing real solutions for frontline health care

NS medical device featured on The Pitt

A medical technology device created in Nova Scotia and supported by Springboard will be featured on the smash hit medical TV series The Pitt on Thursday, March 12.

Ring Rescue will be featured on Season 2, Episode 10 of the popular television drama starring Noah Wyle.

The Ring Rescue is a client of Springboard IP Advantage which supported the intellectual property of the medical technology.

The company began with Dalhousie Mechanical Engineering graduates Patrick Hennessey and Brad MacKeil who were completing their capstone project. They teamed up with Dr. Kevin Spencer, a mechanical engineer and emergency doctor at Dartmouth General Hospital, who had treated many patients with rings stuck on their fingers.

Dal engineers and medical professionals collaborate

By combining engineering skills with Dr. Spencer’s hands-on experience in a busy emergency department, they worked together to solve a common medical problem that older tools hadn’t fixed well.

“Over half of adults wear rings. Fingers can swell for many reasons, and ring entrapment is a common clinical issue in emergency medicine. In fact, surveys suggest roughly 70 per cent of ring wearers have already experienced a stuck ring at some point. Simple cases are simple, maybe resolved at home with a bit of soap or other lubrication to the finger. But more complex cases can escalate into time sensitive and finger-threatening tourniquet emergencies that are very difficult to solve without the right equipment.”

Dr. Kevin Spencer. Dartmouth General Hospital

Ring Rescue device was demonstrated in a clinical. This is an example of medtech innovation in Atlantic Canada.

“The complexity varies with ring material and the degree of swelling, and it is important to realize that traditional ring cutter devices were designed for soft metals like gold and silver, and these routinely fail against modern durable rings,” continues Spencer. “This gap created an unusual workaround, and well-intentioned frontline clinicians began improvising at the bedside with repurposed tools instead of medical devices purpose built and validated for safety.”

In 2018, Ring Rescue was born, and the idea was refined into a practical clinical system designed to improve patient safety and give clinicians a reliable, effective and medically appropriate way to manage ring entrapment.

Ring Rescue allows many rings to be removed without cutting

The Ring Rescue Kit includes two purpose-built medical devices: the Compression Device, which uses an air-pressure-filled cuff to gently compress a finger, temporarily reducing swelling and allowing many rings to be removed without cutting, and the Dolphin Ring Cutter, a sophisticated electrically powered medical device designed to safely cut through any ring metal, including tungsten and titanium, while shielding the finger.

Either approach can be completed in approximately five minutes and does not necessarily require a physician, saving time, reducing patient stress, preventing further injury, and in many situations protecting the finger from more serious complications.

A Ring Rescue case study shows how device works

One case, from February 2024, illustrates just how effective Ring Rescue can be. An 11-year-old girl tried on a friend’s ring and was unable to remove it. Her finger began to swell, and repeated attempts to take it off only made the swelling worse. Her family brought her to a local emergency department, but when physicians and nurses were unable to free the ring, she was transferred to a second hospital. After more than six hours spanning two hospitals without success, surgical intervention was being considered.

An EMS supervisor who learned of the situation offered to retrieve the Ring Rescue kit their team had recently obtained but had not yet used. Within minutes, the ring was safely removed, sparing the child and her family further distress, avoiding surgery altogether, and highlighting how preparedness and modernization matters. 

After building early momentum outside of Nova Scotia, Ring Rescue then partnered with Nova Scotia Health and the Health Innovation Hub to deploy kits across emergency departments throughout the province. Recognizing the benefit for both patients and the healthcare system, Nova Scotia Health supported rapid implementation, and within months Ring Rescue kits were available in every emergency department in Nova Scotia.

“Our products are now in every emergency department across Nova Scotia — a standard-of-care deployment that benefits patient care and health system efficiency and of course supports Ring Rescue as we work toward similar standardization across other healthcare systems. Having a system like Nova Scotia Health willing to partner with innovative local MedTech companies, break down procurement barriers, and provide system level data is a great local win, and it’s not like that everywhere. When it comes to supporting life sciences innovation, Nova Scotia is increasingly emerging as a leader.”

– Dr. Kevin Spencer

Ring Rescue used in more than 2000 hospitals and first responder organizations

Today, Ring Rescue kits can be found in more than two thousand hospitals, fire-rescue agencies, and EMS organizations across North America, including institutions such as Mayo Clinic, Cedars-Sinai, and the Cleveland Clinic, with more than 50,000 single-use Dolphin Ring Cutter discs already used in clinical care. Those 50,000 discs represent fingers saved in real clinical scenarios.

In 2025, Dr. Spencer — a fan of The Pitt and its dedication to portraying emergency medicine realistically — reached out to the creative team behind the show to introduce the Ring Rescue System. He later provided a demonstration to lead actor and co-executive producer Noah Wyle at an emergency medicine conference in Salt Lake City. Impressed with the technology, the show confirmed that Ring Rescue would be featured in an episode.

“Ring Rescue is a textbook example of how a locally developed solution can scale provincially, expand internationally, and improve care for patients in real-world settings — and of course also patients on television, with The Pitt being a great exposure opportunity.”

Doris Grant, Managing Director, Nova Scotia Health Innovation Hub

Medical technology companies like Ring Rescue are part of a growing health-innovation ecosystem in Atlantic Canada that connects startups, researchers, and hospitals to develop new technologies for global markets. Organizations such as Springboard Atlantic help link companies with research expertise at universities and colleges across the region, supporting collaborations that move innovations from lab research to real-world medical use.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Nova Scotia medical device featured on The Pitt?
The device is developed by Ring Rescue, a Nova Scotia–based medical technology company. The system helps clinicians safely remove stuck rings from swollen fingers, a common emergency-medicine problem. The technology is used in hospitals across North America. The NS medical device is featured on The Pitt

Why is a Nova Scotia medical technology company appearing on The Pitt?
The producers of The Pitt aim to portray realistic emergency-medicine scenarios. After demonstrating the technology, Ring Rescue was invited to have its device featured on the show, highlighting how real medical innovations are used in hospital settings.

How does the Springboard IP Advantage program help companies with intellectual property?
The Springboard IP Advantage program helps companies develop strategies to protect and manage intellectual property as they bring new technologies to market. Delivered through Springboard Atlantic, the program provides expert guidance on patents, licensing, and commercialization, helping startups and SMEs strengthen their competitive position and maximize the value of their innovations.

About Springboard Atlantic

Springboard Atlantic connects companies with research expertise at 19 universities and colleges across Atlantic Canada. Through programs like the Springboard IP Advantage, the network also helps companies navigate intellectual property strategy and commercialization, supporting applied research partnerships that turn ideas into market-ready innovations.