J U N E 2 0 1 9 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 8 3
Xenocor
Xenoscope
xenocor.com
We all basically use the same
laparoscopic camera — the
Hopkins rod-lens system — for minimally invasive surgery. Most tech-
nology being developed right now is still backwards-compatible with
this camera. But there are frustrations with it. It sometimes fogs up;
because the inside of the human body is warm and moist, when the
camera becomes room temperature and you put it back inside, you
get condensation right away. We try to avoid this problem by dripping
anti-fogging liquid on the end of the camera like you use on your ski
goggles, or by heating the camera so it's the same temperature — not
the most elegant solutions. These guys have developed a laparoscope
that abandons the Hopkins rod-lens system, and actually heats its
own tip. So it gets rid of fogging from cautery smoke, which some-
times obscures the field. They also have a way of manipulating the
wavelength of light so you can see right through the fog. This is actu-
ally a disposable laparoscope, and while that business model needs to
be discussed, it could have appeal for infection control purposes.
