Design and Performance Testing of a Novel In Vivo Laparoscope Lens Cleaning Device

Abstract

A common tool for diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal, gynecologic, and other anatomical pathologies is a form of minimally invasive surgery known as laparoscopy. Roughly 4 × 106 laparoscopic surgeries are performed in the U.S. every year, with an estimated 15 × 106 globally. During surgeries, lens clarity often becomes impaired via (1) condensation or (2) smearing of bodily fluids and tissues. The current gold standard solution requires scope removal from the body for cleaning, offering opportunity for decreased surgical safety and efficiency, while simultaneously generating mounting frustration for the operating room team. A novel lens cleaning device was designed and developed to clean a laparoscope lens in vivo during surgery. Benchtop experiments in a warm body simulated environment allowed quantification of lens cleaning efficacy for several lens contaminants. Image analysis techniques detected the differences between original (clean), postdebris, and postcleaning images. Mechanical testing was also executed to determine safety levels regarding potential misuse scenarios. Compared to gold standard device technologies, the novel lens cleaning device prototype showed strong performance and ability to clear a laparoscope lens of debris while mitigating the need for scope removal from the simulated surgical cavity. Mechanical testing results also suggest the design also holds inherently strong safety performance. Both objective metrics and subjective observation suggests the novel design holds promise to improve safety and efficiency during laparoscopic surgery.