Exero Medical has announced the enrolment of the first participant in its multi-centre study of xBar, its post-surgery tissue monitoring and diagnostic system.
The new system is a sensor that has been designed to track tissue healing internally from the surgical site following surgery.
Initially, xBar is being used for the early detection of anastomotic (AI) leaks after low anterior resection gastrointestinal surgery.
Early detection of AI leak, which is a common but life-threatening complication of gastrointestinal surgeries, helps to prevent complications by warning physicians before clinical manifestation.
The new sensor works by continuously monitoring the condition of the anastomosis area. This helps physicians take preventive actions before the condition of the patient deteriorates.
Exero Medical CEO Dr Erez Shor said: “The severe complications associated with AI leaks cost the healthcare system in excess of $7bn annually.
“It’s important to understand that these complications can be avoided by detecting such leaks early. Exero Medical’s breakthrough technology is designed to directly monitor the healing of the surgical site so that post-op complications can be circumvented.”
The company noted that the data collected from the safety and feasibility study will be used to refine the machine-learning algorithms of xBar.
It will also help to assess the new system against the institutional standard of leak diagnosis.
Israel Colorectal Society chair Professor Nir Wasserberg said: “The diagnostic monitoring system developed by Exero Medical is intended to provide timely intervention that could save lives and improve the prognosis of hundreds of thousands of patients as well as save the healthcare system billions of dollars every year.”