Grasper Pad Sensing

Introduction Minimally invasive surgery is now being used routinely as one of the most preferred choices for various types of operations. Despite its many advantages, such as reduction of trauma, less pain, smaller injuries, faster recovery time, and reduction of postoperation complications, MIS decreases the tactile sensory perception of the surgeon during grasping or manipulation of biological tissues. Therefore, the corresponding diagnostic information is lost. Present-day commercial endoscopic graspers or surgical clamps do not have any built-in sensors, thus, the surgeon does not have the necessary tactile feedback to manipulate the tissue safely. Technology description Researchers at the University of Washington have invented a device for localized monitoring during minimally invasive surgery. Physiological characteristics such as oxygen saturation, electrical resistance, and blood flow along with mechanical characteristics such as grasp or clamp pressure and distance between the jaws can be monitored with this device. Localized monitoring of tissues can reduce internal damage from the surgical procedure and potentially diagnose tumors. The device can be fixed to the end of a surgical grasper or be mounted to a clamp inserted during the surgical procedure. Business opportunity Endoscopic surgery is now widespread in a staggering range of fields and is used to treat many conditions. As the number of minimally invasive surgeries increases, the need for more specialized medical devices also increases. The annual growth rate of this market is estimated at 7.5 percent between 2006 and 2011, based on a global MIS device and instrument market value of about $13 billion in 2006. The US market alone is estimated to reach $11 billion by 2011. Intellectual Property Position This technology is available for licensing.

Type of Offer: Licensing



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