Medtronic has been a key player in the minimally invasive surgery space for the last few decades, and has made great strides more recently in robotic surgery with last year’s acquisition of Digital Surgery. As a quick reference point: despite the many benefits of robotic-assisted surgery (RAS), only 3% of surgeries around the world are [&hell (Read more...)
Tag: Urology
Wireless Smart Catheter for Bladder Control: Interview with Matt Monarski, CEO of UroDev Medical
UroDev Medical (formerly Spinal Singularity), a medtech company based in Minneapolis, has developed the IntelliFlow Bladder Management System, a wireless urinary catheter that can be controlled with the touch of a button on a remote control. At present, patients with urinary retention may have to use up to 200 disposable urinary catheters a month. (Read more...)
Endoscopic Surgery Using Steerable Lasers
Applying an energy source, such as a laser, to cut through or cauterize tissue is already widely used in external surgeries, such as laser eye surgery, but using this technology safely and accurately during minimally invasive internal procedures is difficult. Current endoscopic technology does not permit lasers to be steered and manipulated with su (Read more...)
Dexter Surgical Robot Works with All Laparoscopy Tools
Robotic laparoscopic surgery is now widely available, with Intuitive Surgical’s da Vinci systems being the most common robots out there. These systems typically require specialty tools provided by the robot manufacturer, and the selection is quite limited compared with the wide array of conventional laparoscopic tools that exist. Now, Distalm (Read more...)
CoolSeal for Quick and Safe Vessel Sealing Unveiled
Bolder Surgical, a Louisville, Colorado firm previously called JustRight Surgical, is starting the new year by releasing the CoolSeal vessel sealing platform. The initial product offerings are the CoolSeal Trinity device, a 5mm laparoscopic sealer, and the 3mm CoolSeal Mini, both of which work with the CoolSeal generator. The CoolSeal Trinity (pict (Read more...)
Mitochondrial Transplantation to Treat Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury: Interview with Dr. Alexander Schueller, CEO of cellvie
cellvie, a company based in Houston, Texas, is developing a mitochondrial transplantation therapy to help reduce the damage caused by ischemia-reperfusion injury. The treatment involves delivering isolated mitochondria to cells that are affected by ischemia to help mitigate the dysfunctional metabolism that contributes to cell death in that context (Read more...)
First Dedicated Pediatric and Neonatal Acute Dialysis Machine Released U.S.
Medtronic is releasing in the United States the industry’s first and only dedicated pediatric and neonatal acute dialysis machine. The Carpediem (Cardio-Renal Pediatric Dialysis Emergency Machine) has been in development for about a decade and the first in-human use was announced back in 2014. Having now received FDA marketing authorization, (Read more...)
Implantable Bladder Wrap for Improved Urinary Control
Researchers at Penn State have developed an implantable device that coils around the bladder to detect when the bladder is full and assist with emptying it by contracting on-demand. The device is intended to treat underactive bladder, a condition in which incomplete bladder emptying leads to irregular and uncomfortable urination. “Researchers (Read more...)
Portable Surgical Robot for Minimally Invasive Procedures: Interview with John Murphy, CEO of Virtual Incision
Virtual Incision, a company based in Lincoln, Nebraska, has developed the miniaturized in vivo robotic assistant (MIRA) platform to perform minimally invasive abdominal surgeries, such as colon resections. Conceived as a small and accessible surgical robotic support device, the miniaturized system is considerably less expensive than current robotic (Read more...)
Urolift Advanced Tissue Control to Treat Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Teleflex has launched the Urolift Advanced Tissue Control system, a product designed to treat patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The system can be used to open the urethra by inserting small implants that hold the lobes of the prostrate in a retracted position. The device is specifically tailored to treat those with challenging prost (Read more...)
Siemens Ysio Max Digital Radiography System FDA Cleared
Siemens Healthineers won clearance from the FDA for the Ysio Max digital radiography system that features a number of so-called MAX technologies, including new detectors and usability features that improve imaging and quicken exams. Three new detectors are included, including the new MAX wi-D, the lightest 14 x 17” wireless detector with a ha (Read more...)
Smartphone Dongle for Cancer Biomarker Measurement
Researchers at McMaster and Brock universities in Canada have developed a hand-held device that can provide rapid measurements of cancer biomarkers in blood samples. Termed an electrochemical bio‐barcode assay, the device could be used to measure a variety of health markers at home, and is similar to the devices used by patients with diabetes (Read more...)
Butterfly Releases iQ+ Mobile Ultrasound for Imaging Anywhere
Butterfly Network, a company out of Guilford, Connecticut, is releasing a new generation of its popular mobile ultrasound device. The new Butterfly iQ+ features better imaging capabilities, improved ergonomics, and longer battery life. Clinicians can utilize the portable, handheld ultrasound in a variety of situations and clinical fields to image t (Read more...)
Real-Time Urine Flow Rate Measurement: Interview with Christopher Strafaci, VP of Sales and Marketing at RenalSense
Fluid overload is a serious issue for critically ill patients. It can occur in a variety of situations, including as a result of acute kidney injury, and can also be an issue in critically ill COVID-19 patients. The condition requires prompt treatment to restore health fluid levels, and Medgadget recently featured an interview with CHF […]
InterStim Micro and SureScan MRI Leads Approved in U.S. for Incontinence Control
Medtronic has landed FDA approval for its InterStim Micro neurostimulator and the matching InterStim SureScan MRI leads that are used to treat overactive bladder, fecal incontinence, and non-obstructive urinary retention. The InterStim Micro is a miniaturized version of Medtronic’s InterStim II neuromodulator, being 80% smaller, but it is rec (Read more...)
A Laparoscopy Assistance Platform to Optimize Minimally Invasive Surgery: Interview with Anne Osdoit, CEO of MastOR
Minimally invasive surgery has played a huge role in improving patient outcomes, and reducing morbidity and recovery times compared with traditional surgical techniques. However, it can be a little tricky for surgeons to operate through tiny incisions and use complicated equipment, meaning that there is often a significant learning curve and traini (Read more...)
Samsung Releases RS85 Prestige Advanced Diagnostic Ultrasound
Samsung is releasing its top-of-the-line RS85 Prestige diagnostic ultrasound system. The device sports Samsung’s latest hardware and software technologies, such as Crystal Architecture, to produce high quality ultrasound images. Moreover, the system can run a dozen or so intelligent software features that fine tune image quality in specific s (Read more...)
Quick Urine Test for Metabolic Precursors of Kidney Stones
Researchers from Penn State and Stanford University have developed a 30-minute urine test to measure levels of substances that can contribute to kidney stone formation. The test could help patients to find out if they are prone to developing kidney stones or to monitor their progress in avoiding kidney stone formation through treatment or dietary [ (Read more...)
Fidget Spinner for Rapid Detection of Urinary Tract Infections
More than half of all women experience at least one episode of urinary tract infection (UTI) in their lifetime, with men also facing increasing risks of infection as they age. Current detection of UTIs rely on patients reporting symptoms followed by a lab culture of the urine for known bacterial culprits, which typically takes a […]
aScope 4 Cysto Disposable Cystoscope Released by Ambu
Ambu, a Danish company, is releasing a single-use flexible cystoscope. Used for visualization within the bladder during diagnostic and interventional procedures, the Ambu aScope 4 Cysto comes ready to go in its sterile packaging and is disposed of once a procedure is complete. There is no reprocessing involved, the device doesn’t need to be r (Read more...)