University of Strathclyde

Overview
Based in the heart of Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city, the University of Strathclyde is winner of the Times Higher Education UK University of the Year 2019 and The Sunday Times Scottish University of the Year 2020. The University continues to take bold steps in transforming its approach to working with business, industry and government to make a positive impact on the local and global community it serves.
Strathclyde is a socially progressive, leading international technological University, inspired by its Age of Enlightenment founder’s vision of a ‘place of useful learning’. Together with its partners, it has developed shared clusters of research capability in high-growth areas, including Health Technology, Quantum, Space, 5G, Industrial Informatics and FinTech. Strathclyde is the anchor university for the National Manufacturing Institute of Scotland, a centre of expertise to help position the UK as a global leader in advanced manufacturing.
Research
Strathclyde is home to world-class researchers who address local, societal and global challenges.
Research is of central importance to everything the University does. It informs teaching and helps make a difference to business, industry and society as a whole. Strathclyde is in the UK’s top 20 universities for research intensity, according to the Times Higher Education’s analysis of REF (Research Excellence Framework) 2014. 
Strathclyde’s leading-edge research and close links with business, industry and public sector organisations make it the university of choice for a growing number of doctoral researchers. Collaborative, interdisciplinary approaches and the desire to create an impact are key drivers at the core of Strathclyde’s research strategy, which is embedded in all its doctoral programmes. Strathclyde’s research programmes showcase its focus on relevance and usefulness, through impact on industry, science and society.
Glasgow City Innovation District
Strathclyde, in partnership with Glasgow City Council, Scottish Enterprise, Glasgow Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurial Scotland has established Scotland’s first innovation district as a hub for entrepreneurship, innovation and collaboration, bringing together ambitious, forward-thinking people to tackle societal and global challenges and drive inclusive economic growth.
Technology &amp; Innovation Centre Zone
At the core of the Glasgow City Innovation District, the Technology &amp; Innovation Centre (TIC) zone, sited within the University of Strathclyde, has a high concentration of innovative organisations, including UK Catapult Centres, Scottish Funding Council Innovation Centres and the UK’s first Fraunhofer Institute.
In the TIC Zone, Strathclyde is transforming the way academics, business, industry and the public sector work in partnership. They are working together to find solutions to significant challenges in areas of economic importance.
The Innovation and Industry Engagement Directorate is at the centre of Strathclyde’s strategic commitment to delivering global economic and societal impact. Working with entrepreneurs, academics and external business partners, the aim is to support the formation and growth of commercial opportunities and to facilitate new partnerships between these communities.

<h1 id="background">Background</h1>
Extrahepatic portosystemic liver shunts are a vascular malformation that occurs primarily in dogs and cats. These manifest as an abnormal connection between the portal and systemic venous systems, resulting in the total or partial diversion of portal blood flow away from the liver (<img src="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/assets.in-part.com/figures/ZJOwpSsSg2MjmkSpNm1x_Screen%20Shot%202021-11-12%20at%2014.18.00.png" alt="Figure 1" /> ‑ Extrahepatic portosystemic shunt). Medical management has the potential to control clinical signs of hepatic dysfunction, but surgical intervention is associated with increased survival time and remains the treatment of choice.
Aneroid ring constrictor surgery is the most widely used gradual vascular occlusion technique in dogs. The Aneroid ring constrictor (ARC) is placed around the shunt and a key is inserted to secure the vessel (Figure Right ‑ Ameroid ring constrictor (ARC) and key). Thereafter, the hygroscopic casein interior expands over time to gradually occlude the shunt.
<h1 id="technology-overview">Technology Overview</h1>
Market Research &amp; Customer Discovery: (Frontline Consultants Ltd)
Currently, haemostats, mosquito, allis tissue, and standard right-angled forceps are used to hold and manoeuvre the ARC during surgery. However, these instruments struggle to grasp the ARC effectively. Presently, there is no alternative instrumentation.
Several disadvantages were highlighted with the current equipment: 
<ul>
<li>Surgeon must often detrimentally alter their hand position on the forceps</li>
<li>Surgical field can be obstructed due to hand position resulting from the altered grip or using fingers</li>
<li>Once the ARC is around the vessel, it is difficult to manoeuvre to a position where the key can be inserted </li>
<li>ARC can twist on the vessel </li>
<li>Forceps jaws and box lock can be bent/damaged/blunted when clamping on to metal out with their intended purpose</li>
<li>ARC can also be damaged by instruments not designed to hold it</li>
<li>Difficult to learn this surgery using standard forceps</li>
<li>ARC and key are often dropped in the surgical cavity</li>
</ul>
The solution
A novel set of forceps has been designed with a right-angled configuration and curved jaws which are optimised for holding the ARC. These jaws can be attached to standard or laparoscopic surgical equipment and are procedure specific to enhance control during ARC placement. Further, with the exception of the jaws, they are similar in all other ways to conventional forceps. Hence, the surgeon will be familiar with how they feel and will receive the haptic feedback to which they are accustomed. 
The research team at the University of Strathclyde develops the technology by using their expertise in 3D modelling and experience with laparoscopic device design to develop these forceps for open and minimally invasive surgery.
<h1 id="benefits">Benefits</h1>
These forceps provide a number of benefits to the surgeon for both open and laparoscopic ARC surgery:
General:
<ul>
<li>Reduced operating time and complexity </li>
<li>Reduced time under anaesthesia</li>
<li>Enhanced control of ARC placement while maintaining haptic feedback</li>
<li>Positioning of ARC and therefore insertion of the key is easier</li>
<li>The ARC can be grasped circumferentially, increasing the contact area and grip provided by the jaws</li>
<li>A gap in the jaws means the shunt can be slotted in, unobstructed, while the jaws remain locked around the ARC </li>
<li>Can be re-sterilised and reused</li>
<li>Simple to use</li>
<li>Procedure specific instrumentation will not become damaged or damage the ARC</li>
</ul>
Open Surgery:
<ul>
<li>A neutral hand position can be maintained in the finger rings, meaning surgical field of view is maximised</li>
<li>Ergonomic pronation and supination of the wrist allows for fine control for rotating the ARC into place</li>
</ul>
Laparoscopic Surgery:
<ul>
<li>Procedure specific instrumentation maintains control of the ARC during laparoscopic surgery where there is no way for the surgeon to alter their grip as they do during open surgery</li>
<li>Reduced trauma to the patient</li>
</ul>
<h1 id="opportunity">Opportunity</h1>
 License to Third Party