I-Corps: Surgical Retractor System

这个i-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是创造了一种具有快速部署的机动手臂的平台技术，可以在任何需要快速、精确定位物体的地方使用。这项技术有许多潜在的医疗、商业、工业和消费者应用。在工业领域，需要定位和保持以进行组装、焊接、粘合、焊接或计量。该装置还可以支持维修作业中拆卸和重新组装过程中的机械辅助需求。消费者应用包括手持平板电脑、书籍或笔记本电脑以及可调节的工作台扶手。医疗应用包括手术回缩和手术装置或工具夹持，包括腹腔镜手术器械。开发中的第一个目标应用是可以在几秒钟内部署和/或调整的腹部外科回缩系统。可快速展开的牵引器减少了手术室和麻醉时间。此外，由于牵引臂是一次性的，感染的风险降低了，而且不需要清洁、消毒和维护。这个i-Corps团队开发了一种设备，它包括一个机动底座和一个附加的柔性手臂，可以通过按下和释放按钮在几秒钟内锁定到位和/或调整。各种夹持器可以固定在手臂的末端，以在任何方向上牢牢地抓住或支撑物体。这些设备的速度和灵活性比速度较慢的手动操作夹具更具优势，尤其是在复杂几何形状或脆弱环境中工作时。知识产权由一个独特的连接面组成，它允许机械臂比竞争系统更长、更坚固。作为手术牵引器的第一代系统是在医院手术室的模拟场景中构建并在外科医生面前演示的。结果表明，它能够为腹部手术提供足够的回缩力。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the creation of a platform technology with a rapidly deployable, motorized arm that can be used wherever rapid, precise positioning of objects is required. There are many potential medical, commercial, industrial, and consumer applications for the technology. In the industrial sector there are needs to position and hold for assembly, soldering, gluing, welding, or metrology. The device can also support needs for mechanical assistance during disassembly and re-assembly in maintenance operations. Consumer applications include holding tablets, books, or laptops and adjustable workbench arms. Medical applications include surgical retraction and surgical device or tool holding, including laparoscopic instruments. The first target application in development is an abdominal surgical retraction system that can be deployed and/or adjusted within seconds. A rapidly deployable retractor reduces operating room and anesthesia times. Further, since the retractor arm is disposable, the risk of infection is reduced, and the need for cleaning, sterilization, and maintenance is eliminated.This I-Corps team has developed a device that consists of a motorized base with an attached flexible arm that can be locked into place and/or adjusted in seconds at the push and release of a button. Various grippers can be attached to the end of the arm to firmly and steadily grasp or support an object at any orientation. The speed and flexibility of these devices provide advantages over slower, manually operated fixtures, especially when working in and around complex geometries or fragile environments. The intellectual property consists of a unique joint surface that permits the mechanical arm to be made much longer and stronger than competing systems. A first generation system that operates as a surgical retractor was built and demonstrated before surgeons in mock scenario in a hospital operating room. It was shown to be capable of providing adequate retraction force for abdominal surgeries.