Medical Devices

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Vanderbilt researchers have developed a novel surgical guide for intraoral vertical ramus osteotomy (IVRO) that helps to preserve the proximal segment medial pterygoid attachment and avoid injury to the inferior alveolar neurovascular bundle during the procedure.

A PCR control system to overcome challenging conditions. By directly monitoring the hybridization of fluorescently labelled L-DNA mimics of the template DNA strands and primers, it is possible to improve the efficiency of PCR in challenging conditions. This approach eliminates some of the sample preparation and trial and error that would otherwise be required for difficult sample types such as urine or other samples that contain high levels of salts.  In addition, this approach enables on-demand PCR in most any environment.

Researchers at Vanderbilt have developed a new image-guided, trackerless surgical microscope system to be used in soft tissue surgeries. The current method is to use a surgical microscope along with an image-guided system. This new design eliminates the need for a separate image-guidance system; the entire guidance environment can be realized within the microscope environment.

Vanderbilt presents an intraoperative device for taking the guesswork out of whether or not a threaded component is securely affixed to bone. This device is an anchor driver that automatically releases upon proper seating of the anchor on the bone of interest.