A Hand-held Instrument to Scan Patients for Surgery Leftovers Before Close of Surgery

It is not uncommon to have testimonies of surgeries - instruments, surgical sponges, etc tucked away within patients' bodies, a stark reminder of medical negligence, resulting in post-surgery complications and even death of unfortunate patients. Statistics say that nearly one in ten thousand cases are unwitting recipients of such medical mistakes.

Scientists have come up with an innovation, nicknamed as the 'magic wand' which will ensure surgeons do not leave anything remotely foreign inside the patient. This hand held battery powered gadget is designed to scan the body and detect the presence of any foreign object. The device has already been tested on eight patients.