Researchers at Johns Hopkins University developed and now successfully tested the Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot (STAR), a self-guiding surgical robot that can perform challenging laparoscopic procedures in gastrointestinal surgery, including intestinal anastomosis. The robot can adjust its surgical plan in real time, just as a human surgeon would, (Read more...)
Tag: surgery
Robotic Spinal Replica for Surgical Planning
A team at Florida Atlantic University has developed a 3D-printed replica of a portion of the human spine, based on patient CT data. The patient-specific construct can be attached and articulated by a robotic platform, and a soft magnetic sensor allows the researchers to gauge intervertebral loads as the spine assumes different postures. The model [ (Read more...)
Maestro Laparoscopy Assistance Platform: Interview with Anne Osdoit, CEO of Moon Surgical
Moon Surgical (formerly MastOR), is a medtech startup based in France. The company has developed the Maestro laparoscopy assistance platform, a two-armed robotic surgical assistant that can hold and manipulate standard laparoscopic instruments. The device is intended to be used at the bedside and provides the surgeon with greater flexibility and co (Read more...)
Paragonix Leads Organ Transportation with Liver and Heart Milestones
Paragonix Technologies, a leading provider of donor organ preservation and transport systems, recently launched a new donor liver preservation system (LIVERguard) and global liver registry. The LIVERguard System provides a highly controlled, state-of-the art environment for hypothermic liver preservation, coupled with real-time digital monitoring t (Read more...)
New Hydrogel Material for Vocal Cord Repair
Researchers at McGill University developed a tough hydrogel that can resist mechanical forces found in the body. However, the material still provides a friendly environment for encapsulated cells to grow and enables the deep perfusion of blood and other tissue fluids. The injectable biomaterial may be useful in repairing tissues that experience con (Read more...)
Catheter-Deliverable Biomaterial Sealants: Interview with Natalie Artzi, Co-founder of BioDevek
BioDevek, a medtech company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has developed a biomaterial adhesive that acts to seal internal wounds and incisions. The material is designed to be sprayed through a catheter, and the primary application for the technology so far is to act as a sealant following colonic polyp resection. At present, following polyp re (Read more...)
Laser Kills Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria for Wound and Blood Decontamination
Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed an ultrashort-pulse laser that can kill multidrug-resistant bacteria and their spores, and without damaging human cells. The laser works by vibrating and breaking protein structures within the bacterial cell, resulting in biochemical disruption and eventual death. Th (Read more...)
3D Blood Vessel Map Reveals Location of Stem Cells
Scientists at Johns Hopkins used a combination of molecular labeling and imaging techniques to create a three-dimensional map of the blood vessels in the mouse skull. Their approach also reveals niches where stem cell populations lurk, which could help researchers to understand how blood vessels and cells behave in various states of disease or inju (Read more...)
Voxel-Based Technique to Streamline Bioprinting
At the University of Virginia researchers developed a new bioprinting technique based on voxels. Voxels are 3D cubes that form basic building blocks in computer graphics, similar to what pixels are for 2D, and have been popularized by games such as Minecraft. The new technique involves printing discrete spherical blobs of bioink (as the voxels) [&h (Read more...)
Simple Color Change Test Identifies Wound Infections
Researchers at the University of Bath in the UK, along with outside collaborators, have developed a simple color change test that rapidly indicates whether a wound is infected with harmful bacteria. The test works by detecting virulence factors released by the bacteria, which prompt a simple color change in a solution. The test could help [… (Read more...)
Explorer Surgical Expands into Robotic Surgery: Exclusive with CEO Jennifer Fried
As cloud and digital platforms continue to gain traction, we’re seeing a trend toward increased investments in robotic surgery in medical technology fields. Surgical training, coordination, and collaboration in the operating room are areas where digital tools can help shorten learning curves. While robotic technology continues to transform he (Read more...)
Microneedle Patch Delivers Oxygen to Chronic Wounds
A team of scientists at Purdue University created a microneedle patch that can deliver oxygen and bactericidal agents to chronic wounds. The bacterial biofilms that form over non-healing wounds, such as foot ulcers, are a formidable barrier to successful treatment. Such wounds are typically hypoxic and the bacteria within them are shielded from ant (Read more...)
Handheld Photoacoustic Device for Lymph Node Assessment
Researchers at Pohang University of Science & Technology in South Korea have developed a handheld photoacoustic device that can locate sentinel lymph nodes near the armpit. The technology could help clinicians to locate the correct lymph node from which to take a biopsy when checking for breast cancer metastases. At present, this process involv (Read more...)
EXALT Model B Single-Use Bronchoscope: Interview with Dave Pierce, Boston Scientific
Boston Scientific recently announced FDA clearance of the EXALT Model B single-use bronchoscope, intended for bedside procedures in intensive care units or in the operating room. As a single-use device that boasts high quality imaging and suction capabilities, the bronchoscope is ready to go out of the packaging, which means it mitigates the risk o (Read more...)
Levita Robotic Platform: Interview with Alberto Rodriguez-Navarro, CEO of Levita Magnetics
Levita Magnetics, a California-based company that specializes in laparoscopic systems, has recently announced that its Levita Robotic Platform, a surgical robot that is still in development, has been used to perform surgery on a patient for the first time in a hospital in Chile. The robot uses similar magnetic technology as in the company’s h (Read more...)
Robotic Brace Measures Neck Mobility in Cancer Patients
Patients with head and neck cancer frequently require surgical removal of lymph nodes from the neck. While this is necessary, it can cause pain and stiffness that can persist for a long time after surgery. Assessing neck mobility of such patients would be useful, as it would allow doctors to identify deficits in range of […]
(Read more...)Cell Cloaking to Reduce Foreign Body Response to Medical Implants
Researchers at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology have developed a technique to coat implantable materials, such as stents, with extracellular matrix components and cells. The new approach could lead to implantable devices that suffer fewer adverse events, such as fibrosis, inflammation, and clotting, because of the foreign body response (Read more...)
Mobility-Enabled Compression Device for Lymphedema: Interview with CEO of Koya Medical
Koya Medical, a medtech company based in California, has developed the Dayspring active compression system for the treatment of lymphedema. The company received FDA clearance for the use of Dayspring on the upper extremities in June 2020, and just recently announced 510(k) clearance for use in the lower extremities. Lymphedema involves impaired lym (Read more...)
Optical Fiber Imaging for Next-Generation Endoscopes
Researchers at the University of Exeter in England have developed a technique to image tissues through an ultrathin optical fiber, potentially allowing for high-resolution imaging of single cells within the body. The optical fibers are as thin as a human hair, and could lead to tiny endoscopes that can be inserted into human tissues to […]
Spray-On Hydrogel to Prevent Post-Surgery Adhesions
Researchers at University of California San Diego have developed a spray-on hydrogel that forms a protective coating on tissue surfaces, such as the surface of the heart. The new material is intended to prevent the formation of adhesions, where tissues inside the body adhere together abnormally following a surgical procedure. The crosslinked gel pe (Read more...)