FlexDex Surgical, an innovative medical device company founded by Mechanical Engineering Associate Professor Shorya Awtar and Medical School Professor James Geiger (Pediatric Surgeon at C. S. Mott Children’s Hospital), has received coverage from several media outlets.
FlexDex Surgical is developing the next generation of minimally invasive surgical instruments that provide enhanced dexterity, functionality, and ergonomics via simple and elegant designs. The company’s surgical instruments work like the surgeon’s our own hand, effortlessly transforming instinct into action while minimizing cost and complexity. Their first product, an articulating needle-driver for sewing and knot-tying in minimally invasive surgery, is set for release later this year and shown in the video below:
Last month, MedGadget, one the most influential online publishers of medical technology news, described the company as “Revolutionary” and that “FlexDex is coming to an OR near you and we believe that it may dominate the industry surprisingly fast.”
In their May publication, the MedTech Strategist showcased FlexDex Surgical on their cover-page under the “Start-ups to Watch” category. The MedTech Strategist, one of the highest regarded magazines in the global medical industry, explores how innovation plays out in all of its various forms — clinical, technological, business model, marketplace, and financing. Their description of FlexDex Surgical: “Achieving the Dexterity of a Robot in a Mechanical Device.”
Last Fall, the Detroit Free Press highlighted FlexDex Surgical as an example of breakthroughs and innovations created at universities that are being commercialized to create a societal impact.
FlexDex Surgical’s core technology is based on the Virtual Center™ mechanism that serves as a highly ergonomic and intuitive user interface. This mechanism is the outcome of research in parallel kinematics, constraint-based design, and flexure mechanisms conducted by Prof. Awtar in the Precision Systems Design Lab.
