MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Nov. 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Claria Medical today announced that a clinical study evaluating the Claria System has been selected for the 2026 AAGL Jordan M. Phillips Endowment Award, given to the top-scoring abstract for research in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery (MIGS). Dr. José Garza will present the research on Monday, Nov. 16, at the 55th AAGL Global Congress in Boston.

The abstract, “Evaluation of the Claria System for Transvaginal Tissue Extraction during Hysterectomy: A Clinical Usability Study for FDA Authorization,” reports results from a clinical study that supported FDA’s De Novo marketing authorization of the Claria System. The Claria System and this study were reviewed as part of the agency’s Safer Technologies Program (STeP) and the data will be presented to the scientific community for the first time at the 2026 AAGL conference.

The Claria System is the first integrated tissue containment and removal system authorized by the FDA. It was designed to make the extraction phase of minimally invasive hysterectomy safer, faster and simpler. The system pairs a console with an illuminated, wide-bore handpiece and a tri-layer, stainless steel-reinforced container. The system’s SafeStop™ contact detection, the intelligent electromechanical feature, automatically halts the blade if it makes contact with the container, helping protect the container and surrounding structures, including the bowel. The wide-bore handpiece cuts large tissue segments for efficient extraction and the transvaginal approach fits both robotic and conventional laparoscopic workflows.

In the study, four surgeons, with a range of experience levels, used the Claria System to perform 15 hysterectomies in patients with an enlarged fibroid uterus. Each surgeon completed a short, structured training program, including a simulated surgery, before successfully performing cases without proctor intervention. Every extraction was performed transvaginally with no mini-laparotomy. The median extraction time was four minutes, and the mean specimen weight was 546 grams.

From a safety perspective, all 15 containers passed an FDA-reviewed blue dye integrity test performed immediately after each procedure. There were no device-related adverse events, and all patients recovered uneventfully.

“Extracting a large uterus without a mini-laparotomy is often one of the hardest and least predictable parts of a minimally invasive hysterectomy,” said Dr. Garza. “Our surgeons had different levels of experience, but each of them was able to extract the uterus quickly and safely using the system. Not one container was compromised and not one mini-laparotomy was required enabling the best possible outcomes for the patients. I’m honored that the AAGL recognized this work, and I look forward to presenting the results to the surgeon community at the Congress.”

Dr. Garza will accept the award during General Session II on Sunday, Nov. 15, and will present the abstract the following day. His co-authors are Dr. Lorena Castillo and Dr. Eugenio Aguayo of Centro de Especialidades Médicas y Cirugía Ambulatoria in Monterrey, Mexico, and Dr. Omar A. Hernandez-Barboza of Hospital Universitario “Dr. José Eleuterio González” UANL.

Established in 2005, the Jordan M. Phillips Endowment Award is one of the Foundation’s Signature Awards and honors AAGL’s founder and first president.

“To be chosen as the top-scoring abstract at this Congress, where almost 1000 are submitted, is a real honor for Dr. Garza and his team. It is an endorsement of the quality of the clinical work and the importance of the outcomes that the Claria System can achieve,” said Claria Medical CEO Alexey Salamini. “Now that the FDA and the AAGL scientific abstract review committee have seen the results, it is time for the data to be shared with the surgical community at AAGL and for Congress participants to try the device themselves at our booth.”

In the coming months, Claria is finalizing arrangements for a few commercial pilot sites with leading health systems across the country. For more information on Claria Medical, please visit https://clariamedical.com/.

About Claria Medical Claria Medical is passionate about developing best-in-class treatments to address clinical needs in minimally invasive surgery. Claria’s first product, the Claria System, aims to improve the second most common surgery for women, hysterectomy, and is the first integrated tissue containment and removal system authorized by the FDA. In addition to private financing, Claria Medical has been awarded prestigious National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health grants to develop products to improve hysterectomy, myomectomy, and other surgical procedures. Claria is located in Mountain View, CA.

Media Contact: Rebecca Day rebecca@clariamedical.com


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