Minimally Invasive Surgical Tool
Laproscopic Grasper
Course: Biomedical Design and Innovation
A surgeon’s average work day includes around 8 surgeries and 10 hours of physical labor. Surgeons however, are in constant pain due to the poorly designed surgical tools during their long working hours. Over 80% of surgeons report musculoskeletal pain with discomfort being reported at up to 94% of surgeons. The long term effects of pain and discomfort cause 15% of surgeons to change career paths or spend an average of 630k in claims for hand & wrist treatment. This pain is caused from poorly designed tools and workspace environments.
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As laparoscopic surgery is known for being the largest problem area; 806 surgeons across multiple studies identified the ring handle grasper as a pain point. We have created a more ergonomic handle that fits a wider range of hand sizes for the traditional grasper tool, and is able to adapt for all articulating handheld tools. Our device would be a great asset to the surgical room and provide relief and decreased pain throughout long laparoscopic surgeries. Our goal is to take care of the surgeons so that they can focus on taking care of us.
General Design Evolution:
The current ring handles are a huge problem area for surgeons as they cause a lot of pain and are not compatible for a large range of hand sizes.
Our final prototype brings the novelties of a rotating mechanism brought in closer to the handle, a curved trigger button, and the ergonomic handle angled at 45 degrees. These adjustments result in keeping the wrist, hand and tool in line with the direction of action, further reducing unnecessary rotation and discomfort on the wrist.
Our team won best pitch and best prototype at our design showcase!
Here is a small gif of our tool working in a test chamber we created, similar to those in the surgical simulation room at the hospital.
We were able to do a preliminary usability test with seven Columbia University Medical Center Surgical Residents and Attendings with our latest prototype. We had them perform a handling test they do during residency training, with both our prototype and the conventional ring handle.
Skills and Tools
Technical
CAD Solidworks
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Manufacturing
Laser Cutting
3D Printing
Topics
Project Management
Business Pitching
Ergonomics