Dr. Kenji Suzuki, Professor, General Thoracic Surgery, Juntendo University Hospital, has been committed to applying augmented reality technologies to medical practice in order to enhance safety in the thoracic drainage procedure. While the project was run with donations in the past, we established a company to further promote the business toward practical use.

The company name “Thoracentes” is derived from “thoracentesis,” a Latin word meaning a procedure to remove fluid or air from the pleural cavity. Thoracentesis is a medical procedure to remove abnormal substances such as fluid or air accumulated in the space in the chest (thoracic cavity). It corresponds to drainage among the principles in surgery, terminology unchanged from the Greek era: “incision, purulent discharge, and drainage.”

Although thoracic drainage is frequently performed in clinical practice, deaths associated with thoracic drainage occur intermittently, and the Accident Investigation Committee of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has issued multiple warnings. However, serious complications still occur both in Japan and worldwide. Addressing this situation, we aim to reduce the risk in clinical practice by using augmented reality technologies and to provide medical devices that contribute to patients’ health and clinicians’ healthcare practice.