New "Smarthroscope" Will Assess Extent of Tissue Damage
BY LAUREN UZDIENSKI, JUNE 3, 2008
Queensland University Of Technology researchers are developing a device they call a "smarthroscope," designed to be a more sensitive alternative to an arthroscope.
Professor Kunle Oloyede, who received a grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council to develop the smarthroscope, says that existing imaging technologies may not alway be accurate in assessing bone and cartilage damage in patients with OA or musculosksletal trauma. Though the article doesn't specify exactly how the device works, Professor Oloyede says the intent of the smarthroscope is to provide an "exact map" of a degenerating joint and "give an accurate picture of what is going on inside the actual tissues."
The QUT researchers say the device can reduce costs and preserve tissue by determining exactly how much tissue would need to be removed in the case of such procedures as a hip or knee replacement and give insight into how a joint should be prepped for a biologic treatment. Professor Oloyede adds that it could also be useful in developing countries where surgeons are less experienced and have more limited access to training, because the device can provide a guide to monitoring disease progression.
The device is still a long way from the clinic. The researchers are expecting a mock-up to be ready in mid-2009, and an "optimized prototype" is three years away.
