Prioritizing Clinical Usability and Surgeon Satisfaction
ClearCam launched the Kelling device for initial human use in September 2020. As you might have guessed, it was a slow rollout during the middle of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Every piece of data from each surgery was worth its weight in gold as we discovered more about the Kelling device, during its use in the first live surgeries. While the initial in-vivo lens cleaning performance was promising, we heard from surgeons one consistent area of feedback, “I wish it was a little easier to use.” We dug deeper to uncover the true customer need associated with this repeated request.
Size Matters
The Kelling device had been developed for efficient manufacturing. Rolled into its design was extensive component overlap in different Kelling SKUs that further enabled laparoscope compatibility with major laparoscope manufacturers. This was crucial, as two different manufacturers may market a 5 mm laparoscope that was 300 mm long. However, once measured, one manufacturer’s scope might be 315 mm long while another one measures 305 mm. In fact, comparable differences were even seen for an individual laparoscope model from a single manufacturer.
These small differences in lengths meant that Kelling devices needed built-in length compensation in order to bring the wiper into adequate lens contact for efficient cleaning. This in turn created a simple, yet nuanced, user actuation that required a few minutes of cleaning repetitions (or a few cases) to meet proficiency. This wound up presenting a challenge in the field as time is quite precious to clinicians in the OR, and many prefer to not need to spend a few minutes learning a new device, let alone a few cases.
Prioritizing Usability
We had to prioritize surgeon satisfaction to help meet their usability needs. Laparoscopy experts need the best and most effective technology to perform their incredibly crucial and deft surgical tasks, and clear vision is needed for every single case. We needed to find a way to reduce that learning curve and enable simple training to almost approach proficiency instantly. The challenge was accepted, and at a speed-of-light pace, the team had invented, validated, and produced SureFit Spacers and integrated the technology into the ClearCam Kelling system.
The SureFit Spacers come as a set of small plastic clips available in a dozen different sizes that can snap onto Kelling’s handle and adapt to various differences in scope lengths. This enables clinicians to set a repeatable wiper position for ideal lens contact at the beginning of the surgery.
Implementation Satisfaction
Since implementing the SureFit Spacers with Kelling in March 2021, results from the field have been better than we could have hoped for. Surgeon satisfaction with usability has been drastically improved. Training times to proficiency have been accelerated. Dave Poirier, our VP of business development, has been receiving more widespread interest from current clinical sites as well as those building in his queue. In fact, after implementing the Spacers, clinician satisfaction scores for key usability areas (e.g. device operation and setup) have shown statistically significant improvements from user feedback!
Listening to our Customers
The reason we have seen such a strong impact from our SureFit Spacers is not just because we have an incredibly talented team, but also because our team knows to listen to what the customers and field data tell us. By prioritizing those needs above all else, we can truly create a more influential and complete product to solve one of the most common problems across laparoscopic surgeries. It is something we have been doing since the company was founded, and we will continue to do so as we take the company to new heights!
