Smallfry teams up with Imperial College London on surgical innovation

Industrial design developer, Smallfry, has recently partnered with the Imperial College London to create a new medical tool that could make operations less invasive and reduce recovery times.

Smallfry has partnered with a team led by Dr Mikael Sodergern of Imperial College London to develop a surgical clip for faster recovery times.

Metal ligation clips are used to hold tissue together during micro-surgery to prevent bleeding. During surgery, longer incisions may have to be made, putting pressure on the clips so they have to be applied more regularly to successfully hold the tissue together.

Sodergern’s team identified an opportunity for a clip with a wider jaw that would allow fewer clips to be used.

Managing director of Smallfry, Steve May-Russell, said: “Universities are incredibly inventive and creative spaces. All that’s needed to take these ideas and make them investment-ready is a sound understanding of the market and manufacturing industry. That’s where Smallfry comes in, and we hope to partner with even more universities in the future to help nurture these potentially life-changing ideas to fruition.”

The clip is able to rotate with the abdomen, allowing for a more precise and secure application. This means that under pressure the clip will remain parallel and in place. The developers believe the clip will be particularly useful in less developed areas when it comes to combating the risk of infection during surgery and post-care, allowing surgeons to work swiftly with less risk of harm to the patient.