Our goal is to commercialize a novel lumbar interbody fusion technology that reduces risk of nerve root and blood vessel injury associated with surgical dissection: The Smart Cavity Creator (SCC) that uses an articulated drill bit to create cavities in the intervertebral disc large enough to allow new bone growth (interbody fusion). Electrical impedance and torque sensors in the SCC detect transitions in drilled tissue transitions to enhance safety. We now propose to simplify the SCC drill guide to improve handling, and then to compare success, safety, efficiency, and usability of this new surgical technique to the currently most common interbody fusion technique, first in pig cadavers, and then in live pigs.

Sohail Mirza, Professor of Engineering, Orthopedic surgeon