Dutch inventor develops groundbreaking medical projector

Dr. Stefan Hummelink invented a device that allows a doctor to project anatomical data directly onto a patient's skin. The Anatomy Projector is the world's first device of its kind.

The projector makes it possible to operate faster, more reliably and more precisely, explains Hummelink. The technical medical specialist works at the Department of Plastic Surgery of the Radboudumc in Nijmegen. The idea of the Anatomy Projector came about when he heard colleagues discussing how to better visualize blood vessels.

Error-prone
“In reconstructions, we often use the body’s own tissue, such as tissue from the abdomen to the chest,” Hummelink explains. “The biggest challenge is to correctly connect the tissue’s blood vessels to the rest of the vascular system. Without blood supply, the tissue dies. Previously, the plastic surgeon would view the results of scans on a screen before the operation. He would then search for the blood vessels with a Doppler device. This process was time-consuming and prone to errors. As a result, operations took longer and the risk of complications increased.”

Augmented reality
With the Anatomy Projector the practitioner projects the vessels and other relevant data directly onto the body using laser light. This allows the doctor to work more accurately and quickly. During his PhD research, Hummelink developed a patented prototype of the Anatomy Projector. Hummelink: “The current model now has the size of a tablet. The application works as follows: the plastic surgeon sticks four stickers on the area he or she wants to visualize. Then, based on augmented reality-technology projects the data onto the skin. After that it is a matter of tracing it over.”

Ingenious
Hummelink's own experiences during surgery played a major role in the design. "You can come up with a really clever device; if it is not user-friendly, doctors will not use it. That is why we did not opt for glasses, for example. After all, doctors already wear protective glasses or magnifying glasses during surgery. And two glasses on top of each other is not practical."

Before the current design was a fact, Hummelink and his team had to overcome many technological obstacles. He gives an example: “Precision is essential for a successful operation, so we had to find a way to make the projector insensitive to movements of both the patient and the user. We succeeded.”

Roll up your sleeves
In order to make the projector suitable for the market and to guarantee financial stability, Hummelink decided to set up a start-up together with Jeffrey van Rootseler: Exolumen. Van Rootseler is full time CEO, while Hummelink focuses on strategy and research. “I think it is important to continue to see patients and to be present in the operating room myself. That way I keep feeling with what happens in daily hospital practice.”

Faster, better, cheaper
Research shows that the projector saves plastic surgeons an average of seventeen minutes in the preoperative process. The operation itself is nineteen minutes faster. This provides health benefits and reduces costs. It is therefore no surprise that the Anatomy Projector can count on warm interest from the medical world, both in the Netherlands and internationally. “I can't elaborate on this too much yet,” Hummelink smiles. “But it is clear that the Anatomy Projector meets a need.” Meanwhile, the technical development continues and the ambitions are high. Hummelink: “We want to support doctors during more operations. In the near future, new features available and the projector will be used more widely.”

Come to the lecture
During his lecture at the Medical Electronics event, the inventor zooms in on the path from design to workable end product. He plays open cards about the problems he encountered and how he solved them.

Are you curious about the presentation? Then register for the Medical Electronics event for free via the website.