Gray Surgical CEO Michael Duff shows a thyroid retractor to Alan and Liberal candidate for Swan, Steve Irons

A WA invention - a medical retractor that will make cardiothoracic and thyroid surgery safer - has received a $247,761 grant from the Australian Government. Gray Surgical in Bentley will use the grant to design and build a retractor that will prevent injuries caused by current retractor models during cardiothoracic surgery. They will also develop a thyroid retractor that, unlike older retractors, will provide for movement simultaneously through both the horizontal and vertical axes during surgery to the neck area. Gray Surgical started out with founder Bruce Gray, a former surgical professor at UWA, tinkering with surgical equipment in his backyard. Ten years later and Gray Surgical is now a market leader that develops innovative surgical equipment that benefits the medical industry.