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SearchCleveland Clinic physicians Matthew Kroh, MD, Xiaoxi (Chelsea) Feng, MD, MPH, and Ricard Corcelles, MD, share how their Structured Innovation Challenge team, The Abdominal Innovators, which also included Salvador Navarrete, MD, and Andrew Strong, MD, are revolutionizing surgical precision with their work on a minimally invasive measurement instrument, as featured in Cleveland Clinic Innovations’ Inventor Chronicle series.
Each episode of the Inventor Chronicles highlights a different inventor’s journey, showcasing their persistence and ingenuity in creating life-changing innovations. In this installment, Drs. Kroh, Feng, and Corcelles discuss their inspiration, the development process, and the profound implications of their invention for patient care.
Surgeons frequently encounter challenges when measuring anatomical structures during minimally invasive and robotic procedures. Current methods, like using marked instruments or improvised tools such as cut rulers and cotton string, can be imprecise and cumbersome. This lack of standardization has led to inefficiencies and risks that impact patient safety and surgical outcomes.
“We found it ironic that, despite using multi-million-dollar robotic systems, we still relied on rudimentary methods like cotton string for critical measurements,” said Dr. Feng.
This frustration sparked the idea for a sensor-based measuring device that integrates seamlessly with existing surgical tools, providing real-time, precise measurements.
The Structured Innovation Challenge, facilitated by Cleveland Clinic Innovations in partnership with the Philanthropy Institute, brought the team together to refine their idea. Through workshops and guidance from engineers and patent experts, the group transformed their vision into a working prototype.
Dr. Kroh emphasized the importance of collaboration in the process, “The Structured Innovation Challenge gave us the tools and framework to turn an abstract idea into something tangible, with the ultimate goal of improving patient care.”
This innovative tool promises to make surgeries faster, safer, and more accurate. Precise measurements are crucial for procedures like hernia repairs, where misjudging the size of a defect can lead to complications and increased healthcare costs. The technology’s versatility also means it could benefit numerous surgical disciplines, from cardiac to thoracic surgery.
Dr. Kroh highlighted the broader implications, “This isn’t just about solving a problem for one group of surgeons, it’s about creating a solution that can improve care worldwide.”
Cleveland Clinic Innovations plays a pivotal role in nurturing ideas like this, providing the resources and expertise to bridge the gap between concept and commercialization. For Dr. Feng, the experience was transformative, “I had no idea how complex the innovation process was until we went through it. The support we received was invaluable.”
As the winners of the Structured Innovation Challenge $50,000 Catalyst award grand prize, The Abdominal Innovators continue to refine their device. Their journey underscores the importance of persistence, teamwork, and curiosity in driving medical innovation to improve patient care.
Video content: This video is available to watch online.
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Cleveland Clinic Innovations brings the best ideas from the brightest minds in medicine to patients around the world by connecting inventors and their ideas with strategic industry partners to create products that transform the future of healthcare. Since our inception in 2000, Cleveland Clinic Innovations has helped inventors receive 2,700+ patents, executed more than 850 licenses and launched over 100 start-ups to turn ideas into next-generation products for patients.
Watch the full Inventor Chronicle with Matthew Kroh, MD, Xiaoxi (Chelsea) Feng, MD, MPH, and Ricard Corcelles, MD, here.
