Squishy viscera, such as the liver, can change their shape significantly from the time a CT scan is taken that spots a tumor to when it’s excised during surgery. Various tags have been developed that can be tacked onto tissue in order to use as a point to calibrate against, but this approach still doesn’t quite […]
Tag: surgery
Low Cost Glove Translates Sign Language, May Be Used to Practice Surgery in Virtual Reality
At the University of California San Diego engineers have developed a low-cost electronic glove capable of understanding sign language. A user simply puts it on and can sign away, with the glove wirelessly transmitting what it’s interpreting to another device to be read out or for the words to appear on a screen. The cost […]
MRI Compatible Biopsy Robot to Allow Precise Biopsies
Engineers at the University of Twente in The Netherlands have unveiled a new pneumatically powered robot, called Stormram 4, able to take biopsy samples while inside an MRI machine. In tests conducted by the researchers on phantom models of the breast the investigators were able to achieve sub-millimeter precision in reaching their targets. Currently, scans […]
Fluorescing Bandage Senses Wound’s Healing Process
Bandages used to treat chronic wounds present a host of challenges, particularly when they’re removed to examine and clean a wound. While this is necessary, the process can be very painful for the patient, difficult on the clinician, and the wound may become infected due to being exposed. A team of researchers from Swiss Federal Laboratories […]
Hand-Held Probe Can Detect Cancer Cells in Real-Time During Surgery
Scientists in Montreal, Canada have perfected a hand-held Raman spectroscopy probe that surgeons can use to distinguish between cancer cells and normal tissue. Raman spectroscopy is a technique that involves shining light on a material and analyzing how it scatters. Scientists have used the method for years to analyze and characterize living tissues and cells. This […]
Light-Sheet Microscopy Images Tumor Margins Intraoperatively to Guarantee Full Tumor Removal
Surgical tumor removal, particularly within the breasts, suffers from imprecision related to identifying the margins of where the tumor is. That’s because tumors are often indistinguishable from healthy tissue until they’re visualized and analyzed by pathologists using laboratory microscopes. The time it takes to confirm that sampled tissue is clear of cancerous cells takes longer than […]
Computer Vision Algorithm Studies Laparoscopic Procedures to Understand What’s Going On
Laparoscopic surgeries are often automatically recorded from the point of view of the endoscope’s lens. This is thanks to built-in recording equipment that accompanies many commercial endoscopic systems. What isn’t easy is reviewing all those hours of footage to find something that may be useful for training clinicians or that may be used to improve […]
Newly Designed Nanorods Act as Dual Imaging Agents for Improved Diagnostics and Surgical Use
Scientists at the PNG College of Technology have developed new nanoscale rods that may be an effective dual-mode imaging agent for detecting cancer. The nanorods can be seen using both magnetic resonance and optical imaging techniques. Combining the two offers potentially better localization results during pre-op imaging, but can also allow for easy to use […]
FDA Clears MAGNETOM Vida 3 Tesla MRI with BioMatrix Technology
Siemens is reporting that the FDA has cleared its MAGNETOM Vida 3 Tesla MRI scanner. The device features the new BioMatrix technology from Siemens that takes into account individual patient anatomy, physiology, and even the differences in MRI operators to produce optimal image quality. Essentially, the scanner’s table has a built-in sensor that detects respiration, a parameter […]
Ultrasound Technology Startup Sonavex Raises $3M Series A and Expands Board: Medgadget Interview
Sonavex, a Baltimore-based medical device company, has announced a raise of $3M in financing including the first close of its Series A round led by Grey Sky Partners. Recently named Maryland’s 2016 Incubator Company of the Year, Sonavex is focused on improving surgical patient outcomes with point-of-care imaging technologies. Other organizations participating in this financing […]
FDA Clears GORE SYNECOR Preperitoneal Biomaterial Hernia Repair Device
Gore received 510(k) clearance from the FDA to introduce its GORE SYNECOR Preperitoneal Biomaterial hernia repair device in the U.S. The material has both permanent and bioresorbable components and can be used in most hernia repair procedures, including for intraperitoneal and preperitoneal placement, and during traditional open, laparoscopic, or even robotic surgeries. It is designed to help […]
Hologic Genius 3D Tomosynthesis Mammography System FDA Approved for Better Visualization of Dense Breasts
Hologic received FDA approval to offer its Genius 3D Mammography system as superior to traditional 2D mammography for screening of women with dense breasts. Though Genius 3D has been available in the U.S. since 2011, recently performed clinical studies have demonstrated that “the exam improves invasive breast cancer detection while reducing unnecessary recalls among women […]
EasyOne Air Portable, Calibration-Free Spirometer from ndd Medical
ndd Medical Technologies, a company with offices in Andover, MA and Zurich, Switzerland, is releasing a new professional spirometer for primary care physicians. The EasyOne Air uses the company’s TrueFlow ultrasound technology that does not require any calibration or maintenance, allowing it to be used for years. It has a rechargeable battery that’s replenished when connected […]
Intuitive’s New Budget Friendly da Vinci X Robotic Surgical System Cleared in U.S.
Intuitive Surgical is following up on the European clearance from a month ago for its da Vinci X robotic surgical system with a similar clearance from the FDA. The da Vinci X is a budget friendly cousin of existing offerings from Intuitive, yet offers many of the same capabilities and is upgradeable to include various others. All […]
Parable Technology for Wound Care: Interview with Nathan Ie, Founder of Parable Health
Parable is a software platform that allows doctors and home health workers to collaboratively monitor wound healing and to flag any issues. The technology has been designed by Parable Health and allows doctors to assess wound parameters and healing progress from “smart” photos taken using a phone’s camera. The doctor can schedule virtual check-ins with […]
PREVENA DUO Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Treats Two Incisions at Same Time
Acelity, based in San Antonio, Texas, is releasing the PREVENA DUO Incision Management System, a disposable negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) system that can be used to manage two surgical incisions at the same time. The company expects the PREVENA DUO to be used post vascular harvesting, breast reconstruction, and ortho trauma procedures that often result […]
Hill-Rom’s New Envella Air Fluidized Therapy Bed Promises Gentle Contact and Air Circulation
Hill-Rom is releasing a new hospital bed designed for patients with serious wounds. The Envella Air Fluidized Therapy Bed pumps air from below a mattress-like layer of silicone beads, helping to make sure that even the tissue that is contact with the bed receives air circulation while helping to distribute pressure evenly. The company says that […]
Optoacoustics May Allow Surgeons See Tumor Margins for Accurate Excisions
While doctors have gotten pretty good at finding and excising tumors, identifying whether they have been removed in their entirety remains a challenge. Histology slides are today’s standard, but processing the tissue, freezing, slicing it, staining, imaging, and analysis take much too long. Patients are often sent home, only to find out later that a […]
Non-Contact Respiratory Rate Sensor Built Into a Cotton T-Shirt
At the Université Laval in Quebec City, Canada, researchers have developed a respiration sensor built into a t-shirt that can be sampled by a nearby radio device. The idea is that patients in a hospital would wear a lightweight, comfortable shirt that doesn’t have any wires, while their breathing rate would be discreetly monitored in real-time. The […]
Flourish Magnetic Device for Non-Surgical Treatment of Esophageal Atresia
The FDA is now allowing the introduction of Cook Medical‘s Flourish Pediatric Esophageal Atresia Anastomosis device as a non-surgical option for treatment of esophageal atresia, a birth defect in which the esophagus is not connected to the stomach due to a poorly formed esophagus. Two catheters with magnetic tips are positioned at the ends of the […]