In an era of spiraling health care cost concerns, a new $500 surgical instrument developed at the University of Michigan is vying to take the place of a $2 million robot for certain minimally invasive procedures.
U-M startup FlexDex Surgical’s first product—a simple, ergonomic and intuitive “needle driver” for stitching inside the body—has been used for the first time in a series of operations. FlexDex has begun shipping its product throughout the U.S. The platform is also expected to expand the use of minimally invasive surgery, an approach that allows patients to recover faster.
