The Lamprey

A Novel Surgical Soft Tissue Manipulation/Retraction Device

Principal Investigator: Insoo Suh, MD
Team Members: Orlo Clark, MD, Romain Roux, Isabelle Chumfong, MD, Sachin Rangarajan

Challenge

Handling of soft tissue with instruments during surgery requires caution, as excessive forces can lead to tissue damage in the form of lacerations or crush injuries. Existing instruments apply mechanical force to tissue through a pair of metallic jaws or arms, most of which have rigid or sharp components. This issue is exacerbated in laparoscopic and minimally invasive surgical techniques, where the limited access and the restricted range of motion available to surgeons increase the difficulty in retracting tissue with minimal injury. The consequences of traumatic tissue damage can be particularly morbid when handling tumors (cancer seeding), and intestine (perforation, abdominal infection).