Innovative Technology Enables Rapid Life-Saving Surgical Leak Detection

By HospiMedica International staff writers
Posted on 10 Mar 2025

$Image: Qaelon\'s technology is designed to address the devastating impact of surgical leaks (Photo courtesy of 123RF)$

Image: Qaelon\'s technology is designed to address the devastating impact of surgical leaks (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Surgical leaks can have serious consequences for patients, leading to higher mortality rates, increased chances of cancer recurrence, and extended hospital stays. Unfortunately, many surgical leaks go unnoticed or unreported because current analog detection methods are unreliable, and there is no quantifiable data to support diagnoses. Now, a groundbreaking technology platform provides reliable, real-time detection of surgical leaks using standardized, quantifiable data and proprietary algorithms.

Qaelon Medical (Strasbourg, France) is pioneering the first and only platform that integrates real-time detection of dangerous surgical leaks with advanced surgical insufflation technology. The company's innovative solution provides surgical teams with definitive leak test results during surgery, enabling immediate corrective actions before the patient leaves the operating room. This approach improves patient outcomes while helping reduce over USD 1 billion spent annually in the U.S. to treat surgical leaks. Qaelon enhances existing insufflation technology, which is widely used in minimally invasive surgeries, by incorporating proprietary controls, digital sensors, software, and data algorithms.

Qaelon’s patented solution replaces error-prone, analog visual tests with a standardized methodology that uses digital sensors and proprietary software. By leveraging advanced data algorithms, this technology can quickly and reliably detect tiny leaks (less than 1mm) that other methods often overlook. Extensive pre-clinical data demonstrates its broad applicability in laparoscopic, endoscopic, and robotic surgeries. Qaelon’s technology has been selected for the FDA's Safer Technologies Program (STeP), a designation for medical devices expected to significantly improve the safety of existing treatments. The product is still under development, has not yet received FDA clearance, and is not available for commercial sale in the U.S.

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Qaelon Medical