ATI is pleased to welcome ClearCam as the newest addition to ATI’s Healthcare portfolio. ClearCam’s laparoscopic lens cleaning technology eliminates frequent interruptions during surgical procedures, resulting in time saved for surgeons and better patient outcomes.
Intraoperative Disposable Laparoscope Lens Cleaner
A major problem surgeons face in the operating room is having to repeatedly clean the laparoscopic camera by interrupting surgery, removing the scope from the patient’s body, cleaning the lens external to the body, re-inserting the camera into the patient’s body, re-establishing their visual field, and hopefully resuming the case. This can happen between 3-10 times per hour of surgery. Surgeons are frustrated, procedures take longer, and patients are put at greater risk.
ClearCam has created the world’s first in-vivo laparoscopic windshield wiper — a device designed to allow surgeons to operate continually and without interruption from lens occlusion. In the words of ClearCam co-founder Dr. Chris Idelson, “you wouldn’t drive a car in a rainstorm without windshield wipers.” ClearCam’s cutting-edge technology behaves in a similar fashion, effectively clearing the main culprits of camera visual blockage — blood, tissue, fat, and condensation.
Dr. John Uecker, CEO and co-founder, says that during the process of developing a simpler and technologically-effective solution “our goal was to come up with a way to improve patient outcomes by shortening surgical procedures, lowering costs, and reducing surgical frustration.”
ClearCam has won awards at the Rice Business Plan Competition and Texas Health Catalyst and also was recently awarded an NIH Phase I SBIR grant. In July of 2019, MedTech Innovator, a leading non-profit accelerator in the medical technology industry, named ClearCam one of the world’s top 25 best-in-class medical device startups. Most recently the company’s founders were awarded the University of Texas at Austin’s inaugural Health Innovation Award at their annual Invent and Innovate Awards.
ClearCam is expecting FDA clearance in early 2020 and is working with hospital groups on their first in-human studies. They are currently raising their Seed Series “2” round of funding and Dr. Uecker announced recently that they plan to be in-market by spring of 2020.
ClearCam – ATI Relationship
Mitch Jacobson, director of ATI, commented, “We recognize the value of ClearCam’s unique technology solution to laparoscopic procedures and their mission in improving the patient outcomes of today and tomorrow. We’re very excited to have them as a member company at ATI.”
“ClearCam is looking forward to partnering with ATI as we look to go to market in 2020” says President and co-founder Doug Stoakley. “ATI’s strong relationships and deep tech focus are particularly important as we develop our surgical robot design in 2020 with an eye on being in market with that product in 2021.”
About ClearCam
ClearCam™ Inc. is dedicated to improving laparoscopic surgery patient outcomes by reducing surgical team frustration, shortening surgical procedures, and lowering costs by maximizing the visualization platform. ClearCam is a proud affiliate and alum of the Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin, The Cockrell School of Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, The Texas Health Catalyst, MedTech Innovator, and most recently has joined the Austin Technology Incubator. For more information, please visit www.clearcam-med.com.
