Ever had a ring stuck on your finger? If you’re lucky, a little dish soap did the trick. If not, you may have needed a visit to an emergency department for help. And there, you might have been surprised to have a healthcare provider use a repurposed hardware store tool like a Dremel grinder on your finger. But it’s a tool with serious risks, including burns, lacerations, and, in extreme cases, even the possibility of surgery or finger amputation.
Enter Nova Scotia’s own Ring Rescue, a company founded in 2018 by Dr. Kevin Spencer, Patrick Hennessey, and Brad MacKeil. They developed two innovative products: the Ring Rescue Compression Device, which uses controlled air pressure to painlessly reduce finger swelling; and the Dolphin Ring Cutter, a state-of-the-art tool designed to cut through any ring metal safely and efficiently. Both are part of the Ring Rescue Kit, a medical device now used by hospitals, fire departments, EMS teams, and other professionals across North America.
“Over a billion people wear rings, and ring entrapment is a common medical problem worldwide,” says Dr. Kevin Spencer, CEO of Ring Rescue, who is also an emergency physician and mechanical engineer. He explains that traditional ring cutters were simple tools designed for softer metals like gold and silver. But today’s rings are made from titanium, tungsten, stainless steel—extremely durable materials that are much harder to cut. “That creates a real challenge when a tightly stuck ring begins to strangle a finger,” says Spencer. “As a medical professional, you want the right tools to safely solve the problem—but until now, those tools didn’t exist.”
Co-founder and emergency physician Dr. Kevin Spencer
That’s why the Ring Rescue team was keen to develop a medical-grade solution to solve this challenge. Since its inception, the company has raised over $5 million from investors and received grants from ACOA, along with contributions from the National Research Council. This funding enabled the crucial research, development, and commercialization efforts needed to launch what has quickly become the world’s best solution for this problem.
Key innovations in the Dolphin Ring Cutter include the ability to cut all ring metals in minutes and a computer-driven feedback loop that minimizes heat generation, eliminating the risk of burns. Its intuitive, user-friendly design allows for precise, automated cutting while continuously tracking progress and alerting the operator when the ring is fully severed.
Early on, Ring Rescue gained national attention through an interview on CBC’s As It Happens and a high-profile appearance on Dragon’s Den, where their compelling pitch secured a $400,000 deal. In recent years, the company has expanded rapidly, entering the U.S. market in 2022 and securing over 1,300 customers, including some of the most prestigious medical institutions in the world—Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Cedars-Sinai, Duke, UCLA, and more.
Now, Ring Rescue is preparing for international growth and developing a second-generation Dolphin Ring Cutter to meet certification requirements beyond North America.
Here at home, Nova Scotia’s provincial healthcare system was one of the first to adopt the Ring Rescue Kit, equipping every emergency department and urgent care centre across the province. A recently released report highlights feedback from both healthcare professionals and patients who have used it. “Ninety-five percent of surveyed emergency department physicians rated the Dolphin Ring Cutter as ‘easy’ or ‘very easy’ to use,” says Spencer. “It’s saving time, reducing costs, and significantly improving patient outcomes.”
While Spencer still practices as a physician part-time, most of his focus is now on Ring Rescue. “We’ve grown from three of us working in my basement to a team of 18 full-time employees and a dedicated manufacturing facility in Dartmouth,” he says.
An exterior photo of the Ring Rescue facility
“I’m incredibly proud of how far we’ve come and of the world-class team we’ve built.” The company’s Board of Directors and Advisory Board includes award-winning executives and leading experts in the medical device industry.
But for Dr. Spencer, the most rewarding part of this journey isn’t just the innovation—it’s the impact. “Knowing our products are helping real people is incredibly fulfilling,” he says. “We’ve created an outstanding product, solved a medically-significant issue, and we’re establishing Ring Rescue as the global standard of care.”
Read more about their company here: https://www.ringrescue.com
