When surgical needles or sharp objects are lost inside the body, the consequences can be serious and costly. To address this problem, John Noel, professor of instruction, and urologic oncologist Daniel Eun developed the Melzi Sharps Finder, now the flagship product of Melzi Surgical, which the duo co-founded.

The device allows surgeons to search directly inside a patient’s body for metallic objects, such as surgical needles, instruments, broken fragments and guidewires, many of which may not be detectable on X-rays. In doing so, the technology enhances patient safety while reducing hospital costs. In April 2022, the company secured a $4 million investment; an expanded marketing and sales effort to hospital systems nationwide is currently underway.