University Hospitals (UH) today announced the completion of the first arthroscopic surgeries in Ohio, and amongst the first ever, using the new ArthroFree® Wireless Camera System. ArthroFree is the first wireless surgical camera system to receive market clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in broad endoscopic applications including arthroscopy. UH is the first provider in Ohio to use this new technology, developed by Cleveland-based Lazurite.
Drs. James Voos and Jacob Calcei performed minimally invasive arthroscopic procedures on two patients with ACL injuries at the UH Beachwood Medical Center in Beachwood, OH. The patients are both recovering well. Each was charged for the surgical costs with no added cost for the use of the ArthroFree System.
A formative human factors study on the ArthroFree® Wireless Camera System conducted by UH revealed increased OR efficiency, cost savings, improved safety and reduced sterilization requirements through eliminating cords and cables, and significant reduction in risks of OR burns and fires with its proprietary low-heat, high-power light engine technology.
Dr. Voos is chairman of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at UH and the Jack & Mary Herrick Distinguished Chair, Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. He also serves as the head team physician for the Cleveland Browns, Vice President of the NFL Physicians’ Association, and Medical Director for the Cleveland Ballet.
“The wireless ArthroFree System allows for more ergonomic and efficient surgical movements,” Dr. Voos said. “You don’t have to constantly be moving cables around while you’re operating. And the camera handset is lightweight and easy to handle. We are proud to be the first healthcare provider in Ohio to use this innovative new technology. I look forward to doing more surgeries with the ArthroFree camera.”
Dr. Calcei is an orthopedic sports medicine physician and shoulder surgeon at UH and an assistant professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He has served as a team physician at all levels of competition, including Stanford University athletics, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Cleveland Browns.
“Having demoed the ArthroFree System in prior simulated studies conducted by Lazurite, I was very excited to be able to use one of the first production units in surgery,” Dr. Calcei said. “This new wireless surgical camera has been long anticipated and shows promise to improve the field of arthroscopic surgery.”
The ArthroFree System was developed through a collaboration between Lazurite and UH Ventures, the innovation and commercialization arm of University Hospitals. UH Ventures provides a living laboratory for companies that seek to understand how their emerging technologies might work within the complex conditions of U.S. health care.
“There are many innovative companies that want to know if their products and services make an impact in the lives of caregivers or patients. We provide a way to validate or refine work-in-progress technologies through various forms of usability testing—such as human factors and ergonomics studies—as well as human-centered design and co-development projects,” said Kipum Lee, Vice President of Innovation & Product Strategy at UH Ventures. “Lazurite has collaborated with UH Ventures on a number of studies on its path to bringing the ArthroFree System to market. We are honored to have had the opportunity as part of this collaboration to conduct the first surgeries in our region using the system.”