720645SmartShadow - Development of PrototypeClosedGRD Development of PrototypeInnovate UKWe are proposing to advance the development of our key-hole medical device, the SmartShadow, by building upon the successful completion of our Innovate UK proof-ofmarket and proof-of-concept projects to date (http://www.mynewsdesk.com/uk/innovateuk/ news/smart-shadow-making-keyhole-surgery-safer-101184). The goal over the next 18 months is focused on the development of an engineering prototype, which is the vital next stage for Smart Surgical to expand its development programme with UK surgeons and to advance into in-man clinical investigations in 3 UK hospitals. This in turn will build the business case to progress the device into main stream surgical practice in 2017. Currently, surgeons learning and performing minimally invasive surgery (MIS) or keyhole surgery are faced with a unique set of challenges. The main challenge is the use of a video image to view the patients’ internal anatomy or operative field. The major drawback with the use of video imaging includes loss of depth vision due to the image being 2-D. It is well understood in MIS that loss of depth vision leads to impaired surgical performance. Generally, there is demand for MIS to become safer and reducing vision constraints is essential. Improving depth vision, facilitating instrument navigation, and manoeuvring should be a priority. Although advances in camera technology aims to improve matters, such systems have a range of practical limitations with respect to their widespread adoption and are expensive. The SmartShadow is a truly unique, cost effective device that comprises a disposable secondary light source that is inserted like a needle through a patient’s abdominal wall. The light casts a shadow of the surgical instruments in the cavity but is invisible to the human eye but detectable by a computer. The computer detects the shadow then enhances it to create a digital shadow, which is introduced into the video image viewed by the surgeon as a depth aid to facilitate instrument navigation.