Laparoscopic Wiper Maintains Perfectly Clear Visual Field

A novel device allows a surgeon to clean a laparoscope of fat, condensation, blood, and other surgical debris without removing it from the patient's body.

The ClearCam (Austin, TX, USA) Kelling device is an in-vivo laparoscopic lens wiper intended to clear the intra-operative view of the surgical site during minimally invasive surgery by physically removing debris, blood, and bodily fluids from the laparoscope lens. The device consists of a sheath and a handle that slides over the laparoscope in seconds. The handle contains a wire connected to a blade wiper at the distal end of the sheath made of over-molded medical-grade silicon that provides smooth lens contact, and a simple easy-to-use lever control.

The Kelling, available in 5 and 10 mm angled and flat versions, does not require a trocar, as the outer sheath allows access into the abdominal cavity. The sleeve can also accept additional instrumentation, including graspers, scissors, and ligating instruments. The mechanical, disposable device eliminates the need to remove the laparoscope from the body cavity for lens cleaning, improving safety for the patient, surgeon, and surgical staff; in addition, it saves procedure time. To clear the laparoscope lens, the wheel shaped actuator is rotated for a precise wipe.

“ClearCam is passionate about introducing more efficient and productive surgeries, with few abdominal surgical procedures today evading the laparoscopic approach,” said John Uecker, MD, CEO of ClearCam. “A good surgeon is a surgeon that isn't frustrated by poor vision due to a blurred scope. Our dedicated process of identifying opportunities to perfect the laparoscopic process has paid off, to allow surgeons to use Kelling effectively and successfully, without cleaning interruptions.”

Related Links:
ClearCam