TransEnterix, the maker of the Senhance robotic surgical system, won FDA clearance for its new 3 millimeter line of instruments, as well as some more 5 mm instruments. At only 3 mm in diameter, the new instruments make it possible to use the Senhance system for microlaparoscopic surgeries with incisions so small that, once healed, are […]
Tag: Thoracic Surgery
MAGNETOM Sola MRI from Siemens with BioMatrix Technology Cleared by FDA
The FDA has cleared the MAGNETOM Sola 1.5 Tesla MRI machine from Siemens Healthineers, a device that features the company’s BioMatrix patient-centric technology, previously only available on 3 Tesla scanners. BioMatrix accounts for different patients sizes and body types, helping clinicians to prepare and perform scans so that rescans don’t have to be performed as […]
Body Vision Releases LungVision for Early-Stage Lung Cancer Diagnostics
Body Vision Medical out of Ramat Ha Sharon, Israel is releasing its LungVision platform for planning, navigating to, and targeting small pulmonary nodules within the peripheral regions of the lungs. The product integrates into bronchoscopy suites and provides a step-by-step process that the company claims doesn’t require a large learning curve. Using augmented reality tools, […]
Philips Partners with Augusta University Health on Hybrid OR for Diagnosis and Treatment of Lung CA
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), one in four cancer deaths are attributable to lung cancer. This is higher than the combined rate of deaths from breast, prostate, and colon cancers, according to ACS statistics. One factor driving these outcomes is the challenge of identifying and diagnosing small tumors within the lungs. Early detection […]
Precipio Announces ICEme Kit for Lung Cancer Mutation Detection
Earlier this year, Medgadget heard from Precipio CEO Illan Danieli on how his company uses advanced diagnostics and personalized medicine to reduce the prevalence of cancer misdiagnosis. Over 1 million patients globally and about 200,000 patients in the U.S. are annually diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This week, the company announced the launch ICEme, a new […]
XACT Robotic Needle Navigation System Cleared in EU for Percutaneous Procedures
XACT Robotics out of Caesarea, Israel won EU approval to introduce its needle steering and insertion system for percutaneous procedures including biopsies and ablations. The robotic device gives physicians a more accurate and precise way of moving needles toward difficult to reach targets. The robot is placed on the patient during a procedure and it […]
Deton is Developing “Aerosol Biopsy” to Detect Lung Diseases
Biopsies and bronchoscopies are the gold standard for diagnosing lung diseases, including pneumonia and cancer. However, these procedures are difficult to provide, requiring general anesthesia and an operating room. Deton hopes to simplify the process. The Pasadena-based company takes advantage of the lung’s natural reaction to bacteria or particles — coughing it out. Rather than […]
Versius Robotic Surgical System Unveiled by UK Company
CMR Surgical, a Cambridge, UK firm, is formally unveiling its Versius surgical robotic system that is designed to be portable, easy to setup, and, perhaps most importantly, affordable for hospitals that otherwise would have budget limitations obtaining existing robotic systems. The Versius is modular in its design, with the moving arms individually mounted on their […]
New Smaller Flexible Robotic Surgical System from South Korea
At KAIST, a major South Korean science and technology university, researchers have developed a flexible robotic surgical system that is designed to work on difficult to reach places. The K-FLEX endoscopic surgical robot has arms that are only 3.7 mm in diameter, allowing them to work through standard 4.2 mm internal channels of an endoscope. […]
New Artificial Intelligence Software Spots Lung Nodules on CT Scans
Detecting lung nodules on CT scans is central to diagnosing cancer and the earlier that can be accomplished the better the outcome. Currently, only about two thirds of detectable nodules are actually spotted by trained professionals. Researchers at University of Central Florida have been working on an artificial intelligence program that can review CT scans […]
Fundamental Surgery Virtual Reality Trainer with Force Feedback
FundamentalVR, a firm based in London, UK, is releasing in the United States its Fundamental Surgery virtual reality surgical simulator. The system uses off-the-shelf haptic feedback controllers to manipulate objects in the virtual world. This gives the user the ability to touch what feels like physical objects while working in the virtual scene. Because it […]
Nano-Optic Endoscope Allows High-Resolution Imaging
Researchers at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital have developed a new type of endoscopic imaging catheter. The catheter uses metalenses, which contain nanostructures to focus light, to achieve higher resolution imaging than conventional catheter imaging systems. So far, the researchers have used the new system to image deep into tissue samples and see tissue […]
Implantable System for Remodulin FDA Approved to Treat Pulmonary Hypertension
Medtronic won FDA approval for its Implantable System for Remodulin (ISR) as a new treatment option for people with pulmonary arterial hypertension. It consists of Medtronic’s Synchromed II drug delivery system, an intravascular catheter, and United Therapeutics‘ Remodulin (treprostinil) Injection medication. Unlike external infusion pumps, the Implantable System for Remodulin is completely implantable, reducing infection risk and […]
FDA Approves Zephyr Endobronchial Valve, a Minimally Invasive Implant for Severe Emphysema
The FDA approved a new medical device for patients suffering from severe emphysema. The Pulmonx Zephyr Endobronchial Valve is a one-way valve system to be implanted through the airways using a traditional bronchoscope. The valve is integrated into a stent that expands against a bronchiole to block off air flowing in and only allow it […]
FDA Clears FlowTriever, First Device to Pull Blood Clots from Lungs
Inari Medical of Irvine, California won the first FDA clearance for a thrombectomy device to be used for treatment of pulmonary embolisms. The FlowTriever went through a clinical study involving 106 patients with acute pulmonary embolism and RV/LV (right ventricular/left ventricular) ratio of at least 0.9 that were treated using the device instead of commonly used […]
Students Develop Cheap and Portable Cough Assist Device
People with cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, and other chronic conditions can have serious difficulty coughing. This creates not only discomfort, but potentially dangerous complications for the lungs and heart. There are cough assist devices on the market that help, but they tent to be pricey, heavy, and require electric power. Now students at Michigan’s Grand […]
4Dx Uses Algorithms to Better Visualize Lung Function
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease affects millions of people in the United States. The main method of diagnosis is the pulmonary function tests (PFTs), in which a patient breathes into a machine that measures pulmonary parameters. The disadvantage, however, is that pulmonary function tests take an “average” of a patient’s lung without being able to detect […]
FujiFilm Releases New Minimally Invasive Imaging Systems in U.S.
FUJIFILM is releasing a couple surgical visualization systems that were designed to improve minimally invasive procedures. The FUJIFILM EL-580FN Ultra-Slim Video Laparoscope System uses the firm’s own Super-Honeycomb CCD sensor to produce high quality images that are sharp and reproduce colors accurately. So-called “Chip on the Tip” high definition digital image processing helps improve quality and […]
TransMedics’ Lung Preservation System Approved in U.S. for Double Transplants
TransMedica, based in Andover, Massachusetts, won FDA approval to introduce its Organ Care System (OCS) LUNG for use in standard double lung transplant procedures. The approval was based on the INSPIRE Trial, which the company touts as being the largest lung preservation for transplantation trial ever. Twenty one institutions around the world were involved comparing the […]
Aquilion Precision, a High Resolution CT from Canon Now Cleared by FDA
Canon Medical won FDA clearance for its top-end Aquilion Precision CT scanner. The company calls it the world’s first “Ultra-High Resolution CT” system because it’s capable of resolving objects as small as 150 microns, something commonly only available in cath labs. This level of imaging is possible thanks to a new X-ray tube that has […]