UH Performs First Arthroscopic Surgeries in Ohio Using New ArthroFree® Wireless Camera System
December 22, 2022
CLEVELAND, Ohio – 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.”
ranking surveys, including “America’s Best Hospitals” from U.S. News & World Report. UH is also home to 19 Clinical Care Delivery and Research Institutes. UH is one of the largest employers in Northeast Ohio with more than 30,000 employees. Follow UH on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. For more information, visit UHhospitals.org. For more information on UH Ventures, visit https://ventures.uhhospitals.org.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes “forward-looking statements.” Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “projected,” “estimate,” “expect,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “designed,” “optimistic,” “shows promise”, “allows” and similar references to future periods. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements we make regarding the expected impact and ease of use advantages of the ArthroFree System within the field of minimally invasive surgery, particularly orthopedic surgery. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy, and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks, and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
Lazurite®, ArthroFree®, and Meridiem® are registered trademarks of Lazurite Holdings LLC.
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Contacts
Lazurite:
Patrick Gallagher
+1 (216) 233-7473
p.gallagher@Lazurite.co
+1 (833) 214-4234
University Hospitals:
Macie Jepson
+1 (216) 767-8570
Macie.Jepson@UHhospitals.org
Tags: Innovation