Cipher Surgical

The OpClear is an innovative new technology with a clear perceived need in laparoscopy - minimally invasive abdominal surgery including General & Colorectal Surgery, Urology and Gynaecology. 

The Problem – how to clean laparoscope optics during surgery

During laparoscopy, the lens of the scope is covered in fluids, blood, tissue, fat and condensation all of which can impair the surgeon’s view as projected on the external screen.  In order to clean the lens, the scope must be removed from the patients’ abdomen. Critically, the surgeon’s work flow and concentration is broken, their control over the situation momentarily impaired and there is a recognised risk to patient safety since the surgeon can no longer see the operating field.  Often, this can occur at a critical moment in the surgery, for example, when there is a bleed.  A 2013 study at Kings College Hospital indicated that on average removal for cleaning occurs 13 times per procedure and despite repetitive cleaning, 37% of total operative time is spent with suboptimal vision[1]. Previous attempts to solve this problem have been only partially successful at best.

The Company is confident that the OpClear is the only device on the market or in development that clears the laparoscope of all contaminants without its removal from the patient during an operation.

The Solution - the OpClear

The OpClear is a patented device comprising a single use disposable sheath that clips onto a laparoscope.  On press of a footswitch, a mix of medical carbon dioxide gas (CO2) and saline fluid is supplied from a Control Unit at a flow rate and shape to clear the lens. 

[1] Cleaning the windshield: An observational study of laparoscope distal lens cleaning, D Eldred-Evans, N Yong, J Sakathevan, E Pearce, P Grange, Kings College Hospital, Kings Learning Institute, July 2013