Applications: A device to position the arms of patients during prolonged surgical procedures to protect against nerve damage and assist anesthesiologists’ access to IV sites.

Almost 200,000 robotic surgical procedures were performed in the US alone in the year 2009, and the number is increasing at a rate of about 20% per year. The advent of robotic surgery and its increased use, in addition to more instrumentation in the surgery suite, requires that patients be properly immobilized during these procedures. Key among the various opportunities to better secure these patients are methods and devices for securing the limbs of the surgical patient. The present surgical device is a design that allows the surgeon to quickly secure the limbs of the patient to the operating table in cases where both access and immobility are important for the success of the procedure. The device allows the arms or legs as needed to be safely secured for both short and long procedures and provides protection from nerve damage and other hospital acquired injuries to the surgical patients. This positioning system for the arm is independently safe for the patient while also acting to prevent injuries during prolonged Robotic cases. Of course, the system is also highly functional in traditional surgical applications that particularly require immobilization or tucking the arms out of the way. The device allows direct and rapid access to the arms and allows the anesthesiologist unrestricted access to the patient’s IV sites without disturbing the surgeons or the patient’s status during the cases. Using this device, surgical procedures can proceed more quickly due to more efficient use of surgeons’ time, and thus use of the device results in more rapid turnover of the surgical suite and a subsequent reduction in surgical cost.

The device consists of a biodegradable tube form that can be customized to fit the patient. The device would be a convenient option for anesthesiologist, surgical nurses, and surgeons. It allows easy, fast and safe tucking of the arms during robotic cases or any other prolonged or short traditional surgical cases, and ensures 100% visibility during the procedures.

This novel device replaces traditional surgical patient securing materials like tape, pieces of rectangular foam, and metal or plastic slate which are currently used. By comparison, the current standard of practice is not cost-effective and also delays on-time starts for the operating rooms.

The device is safe and non-allergenic, and allows better patient care, better quality of surgical outcomes, and improved on- time start for surgical cases by consuming less time to position the patient’s arms while also minimizing hospital-acquired injuries.

Available for exclusive licensing

11-04 MAYNARD

None known.

File Number: 11-04 

Web site: http://www.uams.edu/bioventures/default.asp