Prescient Surgical, based in San Carlos, California, just won FDA marketing clearance for its CleanCision Wound Retraction and Protection System. The device, which combines a retractor with infection control mechanisms, aims to prevent surgical site infections, a common, dangerous, and costly problem. The CleanCision System protects surgical wounds by covering them and the surrounding tissues with […]
Tag: surgery
MolecuLight i:X Wound Assessment Tool Now Available in Europe
The MolecuLight i:X from MolecuLight, a company out of Toronto, Canada, is finally launching in Europe following CE Mark approval of the device more than a year ago. Smith & Nephew will be distributing the device, which allows clinicians to spot bacteria directly on the wound using fluorescence visualization that doesn’t require the use of any contrast agent. […]
Philips IQon Elite Spectral CT Scanner with Unique Dual Energy Detector
Philips has launched a brand new true spectral CT scanner, the IQon Elite Spectral CT. Spectral CT provides a more nuanced look at body tissues, which reveals some information about the composition of anatomy and not only its structure. The different frequencies of X-rays in a spectral CT can be compared to different colors of […]
SamanTree Medical’s Histolog Scanner: Interview with CEO Bastien Rachet
When surgeons excise a tumor, the challenge is always to remove the neoplasm with good margins while preserving as much of the healthy surrounding tissue as possible. To make sure that everything appropriate has been removed, pathologists look at the frozen sections and later at the full slices of samples taken during surgery. The preparation […]
New Technique Allows Mass Production of Bioengineered Liver Tissue
Researchers at Yokohama City University and Cincinnati Children’s Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine have developed a large-scale method to produce bioengineered liver tissue from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). The technique could provide viable, consistently produced liver transplants, offering hope to patients with liver disease. One of the limitations faced by scientists […]
Stratasys Releases Line of Custom Built 3D Printed Anatomy Models
Stratasys, one of the big 3D printing companies, has announced the release of its new BioMimics line of 3D printed human anatomy models. The products are designed to be used in clinical training and to help design and test new medical devices. The company is first releasing bone and heart models, with vascular structures expected […]
Seno Medical’s Imagio Combines Optoacoustics with Ultrasound to Diagnose Breast Cancer
At last week’s RSNA conference in Chicago, we got a chance to learn about Seno Medical Instruments, a San Antonio, Texas company, and its imaging technology that combines conventional ultrasound with a new modality called optoacoustic imaging. We spoke with Dr. Tom Stavros, Medical Director at Seno. The company’s Imagio system relies on a duplex probe […]
Meet Versius, Cambridge Medical Robotics’ More Portable and Cost Effective Robot for Minimal Access Surgery
Cambridge Medical Robotics (CMR), based in the UK, is working on revolutionizing the world of surgery by delivering what the firm believes is the next generation surgical robot. More versatile, affordable, and easier to use than other robots on the market, CMR’s Versius system is already generating significant interest. The company announced in September that […]
“OK Google!” Researched for Medical Conversations
Medical transcription is often seen as one of the more mundane tasks that need to be done in the doctor’s office. Yet, it’s vitally important for making sure that medical records are accurate, and that all of the physician’s observations, orders, and conversations with patients is properly documented. Google wanted to see if the voice recognition […]
SureWash Uses Computer Vision to Teach Proper Hand Washing Techniques
While visiting Med in Ireland, the big get-together of Irish companies and all kinds of buyers in the medical device space, we were introduced to the SureWash system. This is an innovative product unlike anything we’ve covered before, the end goal of which is to prevent the spread of infections within clinical facilities. The SureWash […]
Abderma, a High Absorbency and Retention Material for Wound Applications
On our visit to Med in Ireland medtech industry event, we had a chance to check out some cool indigenous materials engineering that goes on in Ireland to benefit medtech. Specifically, ATD emolda, a company based outside of Dublin, was showing off its Abderma foam, a product designed for wound management applications. Abderma, a biocompatible […]
FDA Clears Savi Scout Breast Tumor Localizer
Cianna Medical won FDA clearance for its SAVI SCOUT reflector, a non-radioactive implant for wire-free localization of tumors within the breast. Because the implant doesn’t emit any harmful radiation and is a fairly simple device, the emitter can remain implanted for an indefinite period of time. This gives clinicians greater freedom of scheduling the different […]
China’s Neusoft Medical Gets FDA Clearance for NeuViz Prime CT Scanner
Neusoft Medical, a Chinese firm, won FDA clearance for and is releasing its NeuViz Prime 128-slice CT scanner. The device sports spectral imaging, which uses different energy levels to image the body and attain in many cases sharper, easier to read results. Fast rotation of the gantry (0.259s) and a 25ms temporal resolution help to […]
microMend, a Novel and Time-Saving Wound Closure Device
Sutures and staples are the usual options for closing wounds postoperatively, but they can be painful and require surgical skills. The microMend Skin Closure Device, produced by Seattle-based KitoTech Medical, provides a potentially better alternative. The design of the microMend is conceptually similar to a bandage, like Steri-Strip. The device is made of a thin […]
FDA Cleares BRH-A2 to Treat Serious Wounds Using Electric Fields and Ultrasound
BRH Medical, a company based in Jerusalem, Israel, won FDA clearance for its BRH-A2 system that uses ultrasound and electricity to heal deep and chronic wounds. Using the two methods allows to speed up the healing of the wound while reducing pain during treatment. Both electric fields and ultrasound energy are delivered into and under […]
Augmented Reality May Obviate Radioactivity for Lymph Node Removals
Lymph nodes are common pathways for certain cancers to spread, requiring surgical removal. These days lymph nodes are visualized using gamma ray imagers that spot the radioactive Technetium-99m tracer that’s injected near a tumor. This is a slow process that exposes patients to a good deal of radiation, but augmented reality (AR) technology may help overcome […]
Healcerion Receives FDA Clearance for New SONON 300L Wireless, App-based Ultrasound System
Healcerion, based in South Korea, was the first company to receive FDA clearance for their wireless, app-based ultrasound system back in 2015. The groundbreaking work done by South Korean engineers and scientists laid the foundation for the development of an ultrasound transducer that works with most smartphones or tablets. Since introducing the SONON 300C convex […]
Butterfly iQ, a Whole Body Ultrasound That Fits in a Pocket
Butterfly Network, a firm based in Guilford, Connecticut, won FDA clearance and is introducing its Butterfly iQ portable ultrasound system. It consists of a portable transducer that connects directly to an iPhone, and an iOS app to display the images and to control settings. The device actually works as three different transducers thanks to an […]
Reprogrammed Patient-Specific Pig Organs for Human Transplants: Interview with Dr. Jeff Ross, CEO of Miromatrix
The waiting lists for organ transplants are long, and people die daily waiting for transplants that never become available. For those that get a transplant, there is a risk that their immune system could reject it. Using organs from pigs is an alternative to human organs since many are a similar size. However, there is […]
Robotic-Assisted Surgery – Current Challenges and Future Directions: Interview with Dr. Mona Orady
During the last decade and a half, robotic-assisted surgery has led to smaller scars, less pain, and faster recoveries for patients. Concurrently, surgeons using this technology have benefited from being able to perform surgeries in a more comfortable position, while also experiencing greater visualization and enhanced precision. With all of these benefits, robotic-assisted surgeries are […]