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MicroFlex CU HSC Press Release Oct 2006.pdf

Quest Product Development, with partner University of Colorado, has completed Phase I research funded by a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant to develop a “proof of concept” MicroFlex scope, an innovative, ultra-flexible, digitally-controlled endoscope that will allow minimally invasive sinus diagnosis and surgery. MicroFlex provides entry into previously inaccessible spaces, direct visualization of tissues and controllability for improved diagnostic, therapeutic and surgical procedures.

This new technology combines innovations in actuation, sensing, control and assembly at small scales using advanced metal alloys, Integrated Circuit fabrication and micro-actuator technologies, to produce 3mm (0.12”) and 1mm (less than 0.04”) diameter ultra-flexible devices.

The sinus application, the first of many potential applications of this technology, was selected due to the prevalence of chronic sinusitis and the challenge of surgery and treatment in these difficult anatomical structures. Chronic sinusitis affects approximately 33 million Americans each year and has become one of the most widespread chronic diseases. Millions of diagnostic procedures are conducted each year to attempt to visualize and diagnose problems in the sinus structures. In 2006, approximately 770,000 sinus surgeries were performed in the U.S. Current endoscopes do not provide the flexibility to access, directly visualize and effectively perform sensitive procedures in remote sinus structures. Access, visualization, and surgeon confidence are factors affecting patient safety and minimizing complications in diagnosis and surgery.

Research was conducted by Dr. Dale Lawrence, a University of Colorado professor and MicroFlex inventor, Dr. Todd Kingdom, Director, Rhinology and Sinus Surgery at the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center's School of Medicine, and a product engineering team from Quest Product Development. In addition to the 3mm scope designed for sinus surgery, a second NIH grant funded research demonstrating that MicroFlex technology can be fabricated as small as 1mm diameter, which will allow access into areas of the lungs not currently possible for diagnosis and treatment of lung diseases including cancer. “We're excited about the potential of this technology to access small areas of the anatomy,” said Dr. Dale Lawrence. Ultimately, MicroFlex technology may provide a useful tool for diagnostic and surgical care for a variety of medical uses including ear-nose-throat, lung, neurosurgery, neonatal and cardiac applications.