Dexterous Endoscopes : an endoscope that changes rigidity during a procedure
In minimally invasive surgery, doctors insert a camera and instruments through small incisions. At present, they must choose between two types of endoscopes: rigid models, which are precise but unable to reach hard-to-access areas, and flexible models, which can manoeuvre anywhere but bend as soon as force is required. Surgeons are therefore forced to change instruments during the operation or even abandon the minimally invasive approach altogether.
Dexterous Endoscopes is developing a unique endoscope that combines both properties. The device moves flexibly to reach the target area, then stiffens at the touch of a button to enable precise surgery.
The start-up has raised over one million Swiss francs in funding and conducted seven series of preclinical trials on a functional prototype. Thanks to the CHF 100’000 Tech Seed loan granted by the FIT, Dexterous Endoscopes will be able to continue its preclinical trials and prepare for the regulatory and industrialisation stages of its device.
Precisia Care: anticipating patients’ needs using hospital data
In hospitals, a significant proportion of patient information remains difficult to utilise : it is scattered across multiple systems and recorded in the form of notes written freely by healthcare staff. Teams lack the tools to anticipate changes in patients’ conditions and allocate the workload accordingly.
Designed by specialists from the hospital and healthcare sectors, the Precisia Care platform analyses this data to generate predictive insights: assessment of healthcare teams’ workload, patient safety alerts, and support for the organisation of care. It is already in use at leading Swiss hospitals.
The CHF 100,000 Tech Seed loan granted by FIT completes the budget required to see this project through to completion and to validate the pilot roll-outs currently underway at the Ensemble hospitalier de la Côte (EHC) and the Réseau hospitalier neuchâtelois (RHNe).