Ahmad Nabeel

Ahmad is an Honorary Researcher at Imperial College London, leading the R&D effort on the self-cleaning laparoscopic technology invention. The invention is called (KLENS, pronounced 'cleanse') and is a surgical optics enhancement technology that automates the cleaning process of the lens of the laparoscope. 

Surgeons won't need to pull the scope out of the abdominal cavity or halt the surgery to clean the lens manually. According to their lab tests, the device could clean the camera in 0.4 to 0.8 seconds. Ahmad was able to design a concept that could be used as an inexpensive add-on. It is comprised of a sheath that has inner tubes and chambers that would automatically deliver carefully calculated bursts of fluid along the shaft of the scope directly onto the lens. Then, any residual droplets would be automatically removed off the surface of the lens. Simultaneously, the temperature of the liquid is tightly controlled throughout these miniature tubes to ensure optimal clarity regardless of the cause of camera lens occlusion: fog, fat, debris, or blood. The second biggest challenge is making sure the device does not significantly increase the diameter of the laparoscope's shaft, which would ultimately require the surgeon to make a bigger incision, and that is undesirable. This is is why Ahmad says he is "developing the most crucial part of his innovation within a surface area of ​​approximately 1mm squared."

His innovation could potentially enhance 15 million surgeries every year, making them significantly safer, shorter, and less expensive.