Minimally invasive surgical procedures are potentially safer, easier on patients during recovery, and can even reduce the cost burden on hospitals, when compared with conventional open surgeries. There are still serious risks that are involved, in large part arising from the laparoscopy sites that need to be punched in the abdomen through which instruments are […]
Tag: surgery
Donor Kidney Transported by Drone to Lucky Recipient
Clinicians and engineers at the University of Maryland have pulled off an impressive feat of delivering a donor kidney via a drone, a kidney that was later implanted into a fortunate patient. It may seem that once you figure out how to deliver something using a drone, other things of a similar size and weight […]
UC Davis First to Get Canon’s Ultra-High Resolution CT
Clinicians at the University of California, Davis Health are now scanning patients using an Ultra-High Resolution CT scanner, the only of its kind in the United States. The Aquilion Precision from Canon Medical Systems is able to resolve things down to the 150 micron level, allowing for diagnostic insights previously impossible. The capability is made […]
CleanCase Device-Specific Smart Sterile Covers Going on Sale
SteriDev, a Lansing, Michigan firm, is releasing the first device-specific sterile mobile device coverings. The CleanCase coverings are FDA-compliant and allow surgeons, technicians, and other clinical staff to use smartphones and tablets even in the operating room (OR). These days, it can be quite a hassle to bring a smartphone in the OR, making it […]
Optical Fibers for 3D Tissue Imaging Inside Body
Researchers at RMIT University in Australia have developed a technique to allow an optical fiber probe to obtain 3D images of tissues deep within the body. The technology could pave the way for minimally invasive 3D optical biopsies. An optical biopsy allows clinicians to view tissues in real-time within their native environment, and avoids the […]
Ultra Cheap Endoscope to Make Cancer Screenings More Common
Conventional endoscopes can get quite pricey these days, sometimes costing more than $100,000 a set. Moreover, they’re expensive to maintain because of intense cleaning regimens that are required to prevent transmission of infections. Engineers at the University of Leeds in the UK are working on bringing the price of endoscopes closer to $50 and avoiding […]
Beckman Coulter Gets FDA Clearance for Early Sepsis Indicator
Sepsis continues to be a deadly malady that clinicians haven’t figured out how to tackle consistently. A major limitation of treatment is how early clinicians can identify that a patient is showing signs of sepsis. Beckman Coulter just received FDA clearance for its Early Sepsis Indicator, a cellular biomarker for the company’s DxH 900 hematology […]
A Visit to The applied Medical Device Institute at Grand Valley State University
Good ideas for new medical devices are a dime a dozen. Getting from an idea to an actual product is the true challenge. There are many factors to manage during the early stages of developing an idea into a product, financial potential, electronics, materials, regulatory issues, ergonomics, and clinical significance. There are now dozens of […]
EnVisio Surgical Navigation System for Breast Lumpectomies Cleared in U.S.
Elucent Medical, a firm based in Eden Prairie, MN, won FDA clearance for its EnVisio Navigation System. The technology involves placing a wireless SmartClip implantable marker within the breast that identifies the location of the tissue to be removed. Normally guidewires are used to locate the target tissue, which extend out through the skin. The […]
HEMAsavR Helps to Recover More Intraop Blood
Ecomed Solutions, out of Mundelein, Illinois, is releasing its HEMAsavR device for blood capture and transfer during surgeries. The product helps to avoid allogeneic blood transfusions by not requiring specialized resources for collection and return to patient. Hospitals will therefore be able to gather more useful sterile and anti-coagulated blood that can be evaluated for […]
Butterfly iQ Multi-Purpose Pocket-Sized Ultrasound Now Available in Europe
Butterfly Network, a company based in Connecticut, finally won the CE mark and is releasing in Europe its Butterfly iQ portable ultrasound system. The product consists of a transducer that plugs right into an iPhone or iPad via the Lightning port, and uses a matching app to display live images, change settings, and review previously […]
Maquet PowerLED II Smart Surgical Lights Coming to America
Getinge has announced that its Maquet PowerLED II surgical lights are now available for purchase in the United States. The devices are applicable to general, as well as hybrid operating rooms, offering features that help illuminate all sorts of procedures. The lights are powered by high-end LEDs, which can be tuned to deliver light of […]
Amazon Alexa Now Offers “HIPAA-Eligible” Environment for Healthcare Skills
Voice assistants, such as the Amazon Alexa, have become very common in American households. They’re used to inquire about the weather, set alarms, and to search for trivia, among other things. Lately, though, voice assistants have been expanding their capabilities by integrating new apps and skills from third party vendors to do specialized tasks. While […]
FluoroShield Reduces Radiation Exposure from Fluoroscopes, Gets FDA Clearance
Radiation reduction continues to be an important goal in electrophysiology labs, cath labs, and other interventional rooms. To advance this mission, the FDA just gave clearance to Omega Medical Imaging, a company out of Sanford, Florida, for its FluoroShield radiation exposure reduction system. The FluoroShield uses a very fast collimator coupled with a bunch of […]
Surgical Electricity Used to Molecularly Reshape Tissues
Researchers at the University of California, Irvine and Occidental College have identified and are studying a new way performing surgery using electricity. Some tissues, such as the ears, cornea, and joints, have a collagen-rich extracellular matrix that can be manipulated using an electric current. The idea is that if you deform a piece of tissue, […]
Electronic Wound Monitoring Bandage Tracks Lactate, Oxygen Levels
Healing large and complex wounds requires vigilant monitoring and frequent dressing changes. This generally means pain, might require general anesthesia, and can even be emotionally disturbing to patients. A less invasive method of wound monitoring, that lets the wounds remain undisturbed, is badly needed. As wounds heal, the chemical composition of their environment changes. A […]
Electrospinning Gun Protects Wounds with Nanofiber Mesh
An Israeli company called Nanomedic has begun showing off its impressive device for applying an electrospun material to the surface of wounds. Electrospinning involves using electricity to produce extremely fine polymer threads. This technology is almost always used during manufacturing. The SpinCare product is the first portable electrospinning device and it can lay down a […]
Quantra QPlus System for Rapid Coagulation Analysis Wins FDA de novo Approval
HemoSonics, based in Charlottesville, Virginia, won FDA de novo approval for its Quantra QPlus System and accompanying QPlus cartridge for point-of-care coagulation analysis. The system provides easy and rapid coagulation status, requiring only about a minute of labor from clinicians for each test. Initial results are available in about five minutes and the rest within about […]
Fingertip Elasticity Probe Helps Spot Breast Tumors
Our fingertips are incredibly sensitive biomechanical devices. They’re regularly used by physicians to feel out tumors during biopsy or excision surgeries. While reasonably effective, too many patients return for repeat procedures to remove missed bits of target lesions. Researchers at University of Western Australia have been working on giving superpowers to surgeons’ fingers so they can […]
Device Helps Make Incisions Along Skin Tension Lines to Reduce Scarring
Surgeons working on delicate areas and visible areas of the body, particularly in plastic and cosmetic surgery, have to keep in mind the direction of skin tension lines. These are formed by collagen fibers that are aligned within the dermis of the skin. If incisions are made against the grain, more visible scars will be […]