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Breakthrough medical robot 'FreeHand' secures Innovation of the Year recognition

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This article has been taken from The Gen newsletter - Autumn 2008. Click here to download the pdf.

Sagentia is the prime development partner behind a new award winning medical device, the first product on the market to bring affordable robotic assistance to minimally invasive abdominal surgery.

Market research indicated that many surgeons are struggling increasingly to find dependable assistants to hold the camera during laparoscopic procedures. Even when quality assistance is available, long procedures are tiring, leading to camera shake, poor visualisation and even longer cases. Prosurgics' FreeHand, a second generation robotic camera holder, addresses and overcomes these problems.

Taking only moments to attach to the side of the operating table, the unit is controlled by the surgeon using gentle natural head movements, leaving the surgeon's hands free for instruments. Benefits to the surgeon include optimal visualisation and improved control over a critical aspect of the procedure. These benefits in turn convert into reduced procedure times and more efficient use of hospital resources.

Sagentia's input into this successful outcome has been considerable: we were appointed key development partner by Prosurgics in October 2007, with a brief to take an existing second generation prototype and ensure that stringent specification requirements for performance, safety, size and ergonomics were all met. In conjunction with Sagentia, Prosurgics has developed a product that is more compact, easier to set up and use and substantially more affordable than its predecessor.

FreeHand was launched at the European Association of Endoscopic Surgery earlier this year. Since launch, FreeHand has attracted great interest from surgeons worldwide and has been recognised by the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons in the USA as a 2008 Innovation of the Year.
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