New Analysis Supports Usability of Lazurite’s ArthroFree Wireless Surgical Camera

Lazurite medical device company announced a new article supporting the usability of its ArthroFree wireless surgical camera has been published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Experience & Innovation. The article was written by Pearl Griffin, MS, Patrick Polito, MS, Leah Brownlee, JD, Jeff Ustin, MD, Kipum Lee, PhD, and Craig Connor MS.
 
The paper comprised of a usability analysis of the ArthroFree wireless camera system and involved 88 participants. 94.32% of respondents believed the “absence of cables will have a positive impact on efficiency,” and 90.91% responded “the absence of cables will have a positive impact in patient safety. The analysis also showed 88.10% agreed that “I could perform surgery with the same degree of confidence [as my current device].”
 
ArthroFree is the first FDA-cleared wireless camera designed for arthroscopy and general endoscopy for minimally invasive surgeries. This system is an alternative to conventional cameras with two cables, one for power and one for fiber-optic light, that can be cumbersome and risk bridging sterile and nonsterile fields. 
 
“The ArthroFree Wireless Camera System is designed to free the surgeon from the tethers of video power and fiber-optic light cables in order to allow more ergonomic and efficient surgical movements and enhance the safety of the OR,” Dr. Jeff Ustin, a critical care surgery specialist at University Hospitals and Akron General Medical Center told the press. “The favorable survey scores and benefits expressed by surgeons in this analysis support the usability of the first wireless surgical camera and a high likelihood of user adoption.”
 
The system received usability feedback from 82 surgeons and six other medical professionals, to which they noted ease of use, image quality, and patient experience. The surveys were collected pre-FDA clearance from 75 participants and following clinical evaluation (post-FDA clearance) from 12 participants.
 
Participants were recruited from 10 medical fields with a wide range of experience in minimally invasive surgeries. Each participant was trained in using ArthroFree before using the device in a surgical procedure on a patient or model. Experiences were evaluated using a 5-point Likert scale, resulting in 91.30% participant satisfaction. 
 
One-on-one interviews were also conducted with 15 surgeons from nine medical facilities. The interviews gathered independent experience and qualitative feedback on the ArtfroFree system. All 15 surgeons noted “untethered movement” as a benefit to using the system. Other benefits were cited as increased efficiency in the OR (8/15) and decreased setup and teardown time (11/15). 
 
“The publication of the usability analysis is the culmination of the initial phase of our collaboration with Lazurite in support of its ArthroFree wireless camera system,” said Kipum Lee, vice president of innovation & product strategy at UH Ventures, the innovation and commercialization arm of University Hospitals. “The usability analysis represented a great opportunity for our surgeons and surgical teams to use the device. This type of immersive observation and data gathering is one of the key engagement services we provide through our UH Ventures platform.”