MORGANTOWN W.Va. (WVDN) – Vandalia Health, in partnership with Intermed Labs and Dr. Jaschar Shakuri-Rad, is excited to announce that SIGMA, a novel suction device for single-port robotic surgery, has advanced towards pre-production prototype development, marking a major milestone in the technology’s progression from concept to commercialization.
With engineering and design work underway, the focus has shifted to transforming SIGMA into advanced prototypes for testing while advancing early business development efforts, including market assessment, usability evaluation, and pathway planning for future clinical adoption.
Single-port robotic surgery is a rapidly growing minimally invasive technique that offers patients reduced trauma, faster recovery times, and fewer complications. Despite advances in robotic platforms, surgeons continue to rely on simple suction devices that limit maneuverability and efficiency during complex procedures.
SIGMA was designed to address this gap by introducing advanced maneuverability, amongst other features, into one of the most essential tools in the operating room. SIGMA is intended to give surgeons greater flexibility and control within the surgical field, improving fluid management, visualization, and workflow during single-port procedures. Pre-production Prototype testing will allow the team to refine these capabilities, evaluate performance, and incorporate clinician feedback early in the design process.
“This stage is where ideas really start to come alive,” said Dr. Jaschar Shakuri-Rad, DO, FACOS, inventor of SIGMA. “Moving into prototype development allows us to test, iterate, and fine-tune the design based on real surgical needs. It’s an exciting step toward creating a tool that can meaningfully improve how single-port robotic procedures are performed.”
The advancement of SIGMA reflects Vandalia Health’s continued commitment to clinician-driven innovation, paired with Intermed Labs’ structured approach to turning frontline insights into viable healthcare technologies.
“At Vandalia Health, we are focused on supporting innovation that begins with our clinicians and leads to better patient care,” said David Goldberg, President and CEO of Mon Health System and Davis Health System and Executive VP of Vandalia Health. “Seeing SIGMA’s progression demonstrates the value of investing in ideas that come directly from the operating room to improve patient care, tools and equipment for the very best physician use and bring expertise and advancement of technology outside of West Virginia to the broader medical community to advance enhanced medical equipment into the hands of physicians everywhere. This is another example of the expertise developed right here in the Mountain State impacting patient care broadly.”
Intermed Labs is leading SIGMA’s progression into this next phase by guiding design, prototyping, and early commercialization strategy, ensuring the technology is developed with both clinical impact and market viability in mind.
“Reaching this level of prototype development is a critical inflection point,” said Justin Chambers, Managing Partner of Intermed Labs. “This is where technical feasibility, clinical value, and business strategy begin to align. SIGMA has strong potential in a growing surgical market, and we’re excited to help move it closer to real-world use.”
SIGMA remains in active prototype development, with ongoing evaluation focused on usability, performance, and future clinical applications. As development continues, Vandalia Health and Intermed Labs are advancing parallel business development efforts to support the long-term scalability and impact of the technology.
