TIPSO™ is NZTech’s award-winning Human Machine Interaction (HMI) device for surgeons. It allows surgeons to efficiently interact with radiology images directly from the sterile field beside the patient.
NZ Technologies Inc. (NZTech) initially operated as a consulting engineering firm with the main focus on machine vision, robotics, and embedded computing technologies from 2009-2013. The firm was providing consulting services to solve some of the challenging problems in the mining, oil and gas, and automotive sectors.
In 2013, its founder, Dr. Nima Ziraknejad, was approached by a group of surgeons from Vancouver General Hospital (VGH). They struggled with an unmet need in the operating room that required them to leave the sterile environment and use a mouse and keyboard to interact with radiology images.
Focused on solving this problem, NZTech started a research and development project. They made their first hire through funds from the National Research Council’s (NRC) Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP).
After developing the first proof of concept with significant surgeon input, they created new and improved versions of the device. Since then, they have built a strong engineering and business team and have continued to work with many surgeons practicing in reputable North American hospitals.
Efficient workflow
As shown in the video with Dr. John Chung from VGH, TIPSO allows the surgeon to remain beside the patient when controlling radiology imagery – reducing surgery time by 10-15%. TIPSO is surgeon-designed to be intuitive and ergonomic, as it allows the surgeon to use subtle and comfortable hand movements – instead of, for example, using a mouse inside a sterile bag.
Improved patient safety
By keeping the surgeon near the patient, TIPSO mitigates the risk of infection and improves the cognitive focus of the surgeon. Unlike existing methods, TIPSO does not interrupt the surgeon’s workflow – improving patient safety.
TIPSO has undergone surgeon-trials in Vancouver General, Surrey Memorial, Abbotsford Regional, and Miami Baptist hospitals. The team has been working with surgeons at these hospitals where it is being clinically used during live operations.
TIPSO-NZTech team members
The team members are (from left to right): Pranav Saxena, Dr. Nima Ziraknejad, Nameet Kumar, Benjamin Blumer, Anshul Porwal, Barkha Ramnauth, Zachary Morris, and Kunal Saxena.
TIPSO-NZTech management team includes:
Dr. Nima Ziraknejad, Founder and CEO
Nima has a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of British Columbia (UBC). He has over 16 years of experience in entrepreneurship and the development of machine vision, robotics, and embedded systems for the mining, automotive, residential, and clinical sectors. He has secured close to $1M of government funding for NZTech from different Canadian government research and development assistance programs since 2013.
Pranav Saxena, Director of Engineering Development
Pranav has a B.A.Sc. in engineering physics, with specialization in electrical engineering, from UBC. He has over 7 years of experience in the development of embedded hardware, machine vision, and robotics for the arts, assisted living, residential, and clinical sectors. Pranav joined NZTech to build the first TIPSO prototypes from early R&D, facilitating the procurement of essential government funds.
The team also has a number of medical, scientific and business advisors. To see the full team, please visit their website: http://www.nztech.ca/team
Contact NZ Technologies
NZ Technologies is located in Vancouver.
