NSF I-Corps Proposal: Elongated Instrument Cleaner

University Of Texas At Austin, Austin TX

Investigators

Abstract

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is improvements in instrumentation for laparoscopic surgery. During surgery, scope vision may become impaired, requiring scope removal from the body and economic and medical disadvantages. Our technology helps mitigate the need of scope removal from the body by providing a cleaning mechanism. The commercial potential for this technology appears valid at this stage, with broad opportunity to address an established market need. This I-Corps project focuses on a technology that can be pictured as a tube, shaft, or long arm with a squeegee at its tip. Its main purpose is to serve as a cleaning mechanism for the far end of an elongated instrument. The intellectual merit of this technology allows for the exploration of cleaning technology application surrounding elongated instruments, with particular opportunity in the medical field. At this stage, proof of concept has been demonstrated with functional prototypes that show acceptable performance. There is particular use for applications where the elongated instrument is constrained within a narrow and/or deep cavity. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.