Caduceus is the smart glasses designed to combine the mixed reality and high precision surgical navigation technologies
Image: Breakthrough in Medical Electronics – A Novel Mixed & Augmented Reality Smart Glasses Surgical Navigation Solution. Photo: Courtesy of Taiwan Main Orthopaedics Biotechnology.
Taiwan Main Orthopaedics Biotechnology, a producer of medical devices under brand name SURGLASSES, has announced its plans to launch a new device, dubbed Caduceus, into the spinal navigation market.
The Taiwan-based firm said that its Caduceus is the smart glasses designed to combine the mixed reality and high precision surgical navigation technologies, enabling surgeons to see through a patient’s body to visualize the vascular and nervous systems.
The device is a surgical guidance system, incorporated with core technologies to assist in positioning specific entry points and revealing necessary angles for fixing screws in spinal surgery.
Caduceus enables surgeons to visualise a 3D model of the patient anatomy
Caduceus has been designed to use the trajectory of a surgical instrument like a GPS system, and it enhances the skills of a surgeon during complicated procedures.
In traditional procedures, surgeons use fluoroscopy for verifying the needle insertion, which requires them to occasionally look away from the patient to observe the monitor.
The new Caduceus smart surgical glasses will enable surgeons to view the precise position of the needle without the need to look away from the patient, and benefits patients through smaller incisions during the procedure, resulting in quicker recovery times.
The spinal navigation device is said to reduce the radiation exposure for the doctors and surgeons, in addition to reducing surgery time and increasing the effectiveness in performing minimally invasive surgeries with accuracy up to 1.5mm.
The company said that it has recently conducted non-clinical testing for the device at Miami Anatomical Research Centre, where it has been tested with major brands instrumentation hardware.
The device has been tested over the SAWBONES dummies, with a total of 60 screws from 5 different companies, which resulted in 97% accuracy of instrumentation.
Caduceus is currently under the final process of FDA approval, and the company is expected to start full-fledged production of the smart glasses in mid-2020.