A Clean Sweep: Initial Experience with a Novel Intracavity Laparoscopic Cleaning Device

BACKGROUND: A frequently encountered problem in laparoscopic surgery is an impaired visual field. The Novel Intracavitary Laparoscopic Cleaning Device (NILCD) is designed to adequately clean a laparoscopic lens quickly and efficiently without requiring removal from the surgical cavity. Animal and cadaver studies showed good efficacy and a short learning curve. This study aims to describe the efficacy and initial human experience with the device during laparoscopic operations. METHODS: Since 2020, NILCD was used in 167 cases with surgeons at 12 different institutions in Texas, California, and Massachusetts. The rate of scope removal in each case was examined. Following each trial, users were asked to rank the NILCD on ease of set up, insertion, adjustment, and cleaning efficacy. A survey was then used to evaluate surgeon satisfaction. RESULTS: The NILCD was tested in a variety of cases, including colorectal, gynecological, general, pediatric, hepatobiliary, thoracic, bariatric and foregut surgery. NILCD usage eliminated the need for scope removal in 90.14% of debris events, with only 97 removals in 984 events. Eighty-six percent of users reported that the NILCD improved their visual field. When asked to rate specific qualities of the device using a 5-point Likert scale, surgeons gave an average score of 4.56 for ease of setup, 4.10 for ease of insertion, and 4.12 for ease of adjusting and cleaning efficacy. CONCLUSION: In an initial analysis of 167 cases, the NILCD proved to be an effective and convenient method of cleaning the laparoscopic lens in-vivo. It was associated with good surgeon satisfaction.