SafePath: Surgical drain placement

Image credit: the inventors

A safe, simple, and reproducible way to place surgical drains, improving outcomes for both patients and surgeons.

About the Technology

Surgeons place drains during millions of operations each year, enabling the removal of excess fluids from surgical sites. This routine procedure nevertheless comes with dangers for both patients and surgeons: the necessarily blind placements can injure nerves and tissues, and surgeons risk hand injuries.

SafePath offers a simple, safe, and reproducible means of placing surgical drains that will reduce complications and improve surgeon safety. Our three-part system consists of a targeting guide, trocar, and locking clip, with a working prototype that’s been validated by surgeons in hands-on lab tests. It integrates easily into existing surgical workflows, functioning as a drop-in replacement for current tools. Additionally, as a Class 1, 510(k)-exempt device, SafePath has a clear route to approval, with spinal surgeries as a likely early adoption cohort.

During our HIT Fund tenure, we will conduct more comprehensive tests and iterate our design based on user feedback while validating potential use cases. At the same time, we hope to explore potential commercialization strategies as we consider whether licensing or a seed-stage startup is right for our technology.