Advancing the Endoscope with Small Format Electronics
One of the world’s top medical device suppliers, reached out to GOT Interface with a vision. Having various successful endoscopic instruments on the market, they wanted to create a smaller footprint ureteroscope for more patient comfort with increased functionality. Like other endoscope manufacturers, they were frustrated with the limitations of the existing constructions on the market which contained bulky and complex optical light guides. These guides take up precious space in the instrument’s assembly, limiting the capacity for physicians to perform the procedure and provide the biopsy, stapling, cauterization, or suturing required.
In addition to limiting the clinical potential of internal procedures, sizeable camera and lighting assemblies in existing endoscopes made these procedures unnecessarily invasive. This resulted in poorer health outcomes and lengthier hospitalization and recovery times, not to mention excess costs for providers.
GOT Interface was able to harness expertise in multiple engineering disciplines to create a custom solution that:
• Reduced the complexity of the device’s lighting circuitry.
• Decreased the overall size of the instrument’s camera and optics.
• Moved the optics down to the procedure point.
• Incorporated design flexibility that allowed for sensors input at point of procedure.
• Improve product yields with more robust construction over existing design.
In doing so, GOT Interface helped this medical suppler to pioneer a ureteroscope that incorporated a compact, high-resolution camera into the tip of the device, while decreasing the overall size of the assembly. The reduction in the area required for optics allowed for greater functionality of the device’s instrumentation, while also making procedures less intrusive and high-risk for patients.
Beyond reducing the size of the ureteroscope, GOT Interface was also able to incorporate compact pressure sensors into the point of analysis, providing surgeons the additional feedback needed to enhance patient safety during procedures. GOT Interface was able to meet this customer unique product requirements while keeping the assembly compact, cost-effective, and meeting ISO 13485 standards. While GOT Interface’s expertise in small format flexible electronics helped this industry leader expand the horizons of ureteroscope technology, these solutions have implications for internal procedures of all kinds including vascular, cardiopulmonary, and gastroenterological.
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