Surgical tool company MID raises additional funding

Minimally Invasive Devices Inc. (MID) founded by a laparoscopic surgeon to develop surgical tools that facilitate and enable the performance of Minimally Invasive Surgery has announced that it has raised $2.5million in additional funding. The fund totals to $11.5 million, after an initial $9 million financing spearheaded by original investor Charter Life Sciences. Canaan Partners is the company's newest investor.

MID has developed the FloShield system, a franchise of products that substantially improve visualization during laparoscopic surgery. During laparoscopic surgery it is common for condensation to form on the end of the laparoscope obscuring vision. It is also common for debris from the ultrasonic scalpel, cautery, or even blood products themselves to degrade the surgical view. Most commonly, surgeons will need to remove the laparoscope for manual cleaning. Rarely, this may also occur during active bleeding when time spent cleaning the scope may allow blood products to accumulate at the surgical site.

FloShield addresses the main unsolved problem in laparoscopic visualization: debris settling on the end of the scope that blocks the surgeon's view and requires frequent interruptions for scope removal and manual cleaning.