An in-body cleaner for a laparoscopic camera was inspired by the scoop at the end of a Slurpee straw. Source: University of Texas at AustinAs with all medical equipment, laparoscopic cameras used during minimally-invasive surgeries must be kept scrupulously clean. When in use, the visibility afforded by a laparoscope is diminished by contact with bodily fluids or condensation, necessitating stopping the procedure, retrieving and wiping off the instrument followed by reinsertion. This process extends procedure completion time and is rife with safety risks.

Drinking from the well of inspiration, graduate students from the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin engineered a better approach to surgical camera cleanliness. Their solution is based on the scoop-like shape at the terminus of the Slurpee straw.

The in-body laparoscopic cleaner is actuated as the surgeon opens the polymer tip coated with a geometrically altered polymer to remove, or scoop, material from the equipment lens without leaving any scratches behind.

The researchers formed medical device startup ClearCam Inc. to commercialize the technology. Prize money awarded in the 2018 Rice Business Plan Competition hosted by Rice University, and in other design competitions, will be used to further develop and market the straw-inspired instrument.