The day in the life of an arthroscopic surgeon is mired with complexities. During the course of each surgery, they go back-and-forth between 10-20 minimally invasive instruments to reach difficult parts of the knee. Since the pre-bent instruments are not steerable and fixed at a particular angle, surgeons often struggle with gaining access to the surgical site, as well as with the alignment of the instrument tip for manipulation, suturing, or cutting of the tissues. If ‘x’ instrument is unable to reach the surgical site through a 3- or 5-mm incision, the surgeon tries again with ‘y’ instrument—a trial-and-error method that increases the procedure time.

To hasten the process, surgeons resort to unconventional methods— standing in unergonomic postures or manipulating the instruments in uncomfortable positions—that cause high pressure on the insertion portal (healthy tissue) of the patients and lead to surgeons hurting their wrists.

Similar issues permeate across laparoscopy Operation Rooms (OR) where steering the tip of bulky and complex instruments is a recurring pain for laparoscopic surgeons, especially in situations where they have to operate through small incisions with small trocars.

For decades, arthroscopic and laparoscopic surgeons have been using the same antiquated tools that not only limit their performance but spike a hospital’s OR budget (due to the excessive cleaning of instruments and lengthier surgical procedures).

Enter the Steerable Punch

After watching surgeons struggle with stiff and pre-bent instrumentation, Dr.ir. Gabriëlle Tuijth of, Ph.D., of the Delft University of Technology, was keen to bring about change. Starting in the year 2000, she began digging for solutions whilst collaborating with Dr.ir. Tim Horeman, Ph.D. (now Co-Founder and CTO of Surge-on Medical), and other fellow researchers, Dutch hospitals, and universities, who were collectively determined to deliver surgeons a modern instrument that matches their needs.

Nearly 20 years later, surgeons across the world have access to the Steerable Punch, a revolutionary, first-of-its-kind device that allows surgeons to perform arthroscopic knee surgery with just one instrument. The free-dimensional steerable instrument offers extra reachability in the knee joint, replacing up to ten established instruments and other functions, leading to simplified operation techniques, minimal tissue injuries, and fewer risk of infections. Ultimately, it can result in efficient ORs and surgeons, faster patient recovery, and cost savings for hospitals.

Although the device arrived in the market in 2019, The Steerable Punch is the culmination of an intellectual property portfolio built up by Surge-on Medical, a Netherlands-based medtech company that was established in 2015. Through four international patents on cable-free steering mechanism, detachability, and coupling mechanism, and practical applications, Surge-on Medical is building a host of innovative surgical tools that optimize and expand the operative performance of the surgeon to enhance the quality of care for the patient. “We are unique because our instruments are steerable and detachable, and therefore cleanable. Our products drive environmental benefits—due to the reduced amount of disposed plastics and metal—and surgical benefits through efficient, cleaner, and safer procedures. They could allow patients to recover faster from surgeries,” says Benno Benno Groosman MScBA, Co-Founder and CEO, Surge-on Medical.

The Steerable Punch enables surgeons to achieve the much-desired “steerability” thanks to Surge-on Medical’s patented Shaft Actuated Tip Articulation technology (SATA), developed in association with the Delft University of Technology.