SmartShadow - Development of Prototype

We are proposing to advance the development of our key-hole medical device, theSmartShadow, by building upon the successful completion of our Innovate UK proof-ofmarketand proof-of-concept projects to date (http://www.mynewsdesk.com/uk/innovateuk/news/smart-shadow-making-keyhole-surgery-safer-101184). The goal over the next 18months is focused on the development of an engineering prototype, which is the vital nextstage for Smart Surgical to expand its development programme with UK surgeons and toadvance into in-man clinical investigations in 3 UK hospitals. This in turn will build thebusiness case to progress the device into main stream surgical practice in 2017.Currently, surgeons learning and performing minimally invasive surgery (MIS) or keyholesurgery are faced with a unique set of challenges. The main challenge is the use of a videoimage to view the patients’ internal anatomy or operative field. The major drawback with theuse of video imaging includes loss of depth vision due to the image being 2-D. It is wellunderstood in MIS that loss of depth vision leads to impaired surgical performance.Generally, there is demand for MIS to become safer and reducing vision constraints isessential. Improving depth vision, facilitating instrument navigation, and manoeuvring shouldbe a priority.Although advances in camera technology aims to improve matters, such systems have a rangeof practical limitations with respect to their widespread adoption and are expensive. TheSmartShadow is a truly unique, cost effective device that comprises a disposable secondarylight source that is inserted like a needle through a patient’s abdominal wall. The light casts ashadow of the surgical instruments in the cavity but is invisible to the human eye butdetectable by a computer. The computer detects the shadow then enhances it to create a digitalshadow, which is introduced into the video image viewed by the surgeon as a depth aid tofacilitate instrument navigation.