Surgical suction-clearing device developed at MUSC now ready to launch nationally

The hospital used the VORTEX Surgical Suction Clearing system by VayuClear recently in surgery as part of its national pilot launch program

by Celia Spell

Stephen Kalhorn, M.D., was elated to use the newly released VORTEX system by VayuClear in a lumbar procedure this past June. The device came in handy instantly, with 5 uses in the first hour of surgery. He has since used it in multiple surgeries over the last few months.

As a neurosurgeon at MUSC Health, Kalhorn has personally experienced the frustration that comes with suction tips and lines that clog regularly throughout surgery. With long procedures and safety as paramount, he thought there had to be a better solution for both surgeons and health care teams.

When he realized there wasn’t a better suction-clearing system on the market, he set about creating one himself. And after 8 years of tinkering and testing and working with the MUSC Zucker Institute for Innovation Commercialization, his new medical device is launching nationally. In July, twenty hospitals were targeted to participate in the pilot launch, with a full commercial launch to follow.

Surgical suction is necessary during surgery to clear the operating view for surgeons. However, with previous de-clogging methods, the procedure had to stop in order to clear the suction tube of whatever surgical byproduct was blocking it, and in some instances, team members had to replace the tube altogether. The old declogging methods break the closed loop of body fluid which can increase the risk of staff exposure. The VORTEX system conversely frees the suction tube and suction line clogs without disrupting that contained loop.

VORTEX was possible in part with funding, engineering, and patent assistance from the Zucker Institute and Medical Access Partners, LLC.

Dave Maness, CEO of VayuClear, Inc. and co-founder/principal of Medical Access Partners LLC, was excited to see the first iterations of this project and saw great potential. Now, he’s looking forward to sharing this new, easy-to-use system with other physicians across the country who might be struggling with the same frustrations as Kalhorn.

 

“Kalhorn and his team nailed it,” Maness said. “In addition to reducing frustration and saving time, the VORTEX system adds another level of safety for the surgical staff. We believe this will set a new standard in hospitals and surgical centers across the U.S.”

Kalhorn says unclogging a tube with previous devices could take as long as 3 minutes each time, which adds up to about 15 minutes per hour. In a long spinal surgery, that adds up to a lot of time.

During his first surgery with the commercialized VORTEX device in June, Kalhorn looked at MUSC Nurse Logan Grace Pheffer, who helps him de-clog suction devices regularly, and joked, “What will you do with all of your free time today?”

MUSC’s Zucker Institute acts as an incubator for startups and innovation at MUSC. It will soon have a seat in MUSC’s new Innovation district, Blue Sky Labs. To read about other innovative projects at MUSC, click here and here.