Currently, endoscopic exams of the colon are performed to check for cancerous polyps or other lesions.  If a suspect site needs to be marked by the endoscopist for subsequent surgical resection, India ink is used to "tattoo" the area.  This technique is not optimal; it is difficult for the gastrointestinal surgeon to subsequently locate the previously marked site and the ink itself can produce unwanted complications.

Lucent’s system will consist of endoscopically deployed surgical tags composed of small, permanent magnets encapsulated in a biocompatible material with a barb composed of bio-degradable material.  A hand-held or laparoscopic magnetic field detector scanned over the outer wall of the colon will locate these tags.  This system is designed to allow surgeons to accurately locate lesion sites for precise resection or other treatment.  While colon polyps are a natural first application, other surgical procedures may also benefit from this technique.

- This device has not been cleared by the FDA -