ClearCam’s Kelling Device Shows Promise in Human Trials

Despite the trials and upsets of the pandemic, ClearCam blazed a trail to maximize surgical vision and skill with over 100 human trials for its laparoscopic lens cleaning Kelling device. ClearCam completed its clinical pilot of the groundbreaking tool in March. The Kelling device allows a surgeon to clean the scope of fat, condensation, blood, and other surgical debris, without removing it from the patient’s body, to maintain a perfectly clear optical visual field.
 
Cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in February 2020, Kelling is an in-vivo laparoscopic lens wiper made out of over-molded Medical-Grade Silicon with precise angles, smooth lens contact, and a simple easy-to-use mechanical design. 
 
With more than a dozen U.S. hospitals using the Kelling device, among the physicians is Carlos Garcia-Cantu, M.D., of Doctor’s Hospital at Renaissance in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. He said, “I would use this every time I had a case that required a 5mm scope. It worked really well.” 
 
During a typical one-hour abdominal laparoscopic procedure, surgeons may need to remove the scope potentially a dozen times to clear the lens. Kelling is a mechanical, efficient and disposable in-vivo laparoscopic lens cleaner that eliminates the need for removal.
 
“Our dedicated process of identifying opportunities to perfect the laparoscopic process during the 100 cases has paid off, to allow surgeons to use Kelling effectively and successfully, without cleaning interruptions,” stated Dr. John Uecker, general surgeon and CEO of ClearCam Inc. Uecker co-founded the device company after having performed close to 350 laparoscopies a year and encountering the consistent issue of needing to clean the lens. “A good surgeon is a surgeon that isn’t frustrated by poor vision due to a blurred scope.” 
 
Laparoscopic procedures are used in both pediatric and adult cases. “I was pleasantly surprised how well it worked.  It was quite simple to use,” said Jonathan Espana, M.D., of Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. 
 
ClearCam is passionate about introducing more efficient and productive surgeries, with few abdominal surgical procedures today evading the laparoscopic approach. And with the operating room of tomorrow moving toward more precise and advanced robotic-assisted surgeries, ClearCam has an answer with the current development of “Galaxie,” to address the same issue of scope cleaning in the robotic surgery market.
 
“This device really helps when I have to work deep in the peritoneal cavity,” said Scott Thomas, M.D., of Baylor Scott and White Medical Center in Austin, Texas.
 
The mission of ClearCam Inc. is to improve laparoscopic surgery patient outcomes by reducing risk, easing surgeon frustration, shortening procedure times and lowering costs by maximizing the visualization platform. The Kelling device has been used in multiple operations in hospital systems across the country in gynecologic, thoracic, pediatric and general surgery cases.