Hornet Fixation Device

Laparoscopic suturing can be very time consuming and frustrating for inexperienced surgeons. It is one of the hardest actions to perform in a laparoscopic fashion, but it remains the golden standard. There are alternative fixation methods such as automatic needle passers, knot-tying devices, staplers, tackers and adhesives but they all have...

Design of an injection moldable steerable tip for a laparoscopic instrument

The field of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is calling for steerable mechanisms to increase the functionality and versatility of the contemporary instruments. Since reusable steerable instruments cannot pass the sterilization regulations, disposable instruments could solve the cleaning problem. In order to be cost-competitive, a cheap...

Testing and modeling of the Minimally Invasive Manipulator

Performing complex surgical procedures laparoscopically is hampered by the loss of dexterity for the surgeon. The MIM has been developed to overcome those problems. This MIM was never tested. This report describes user tests performed with this MIM. Users applied lower forces to the test pads, but used more time and made more errors during...

Design process of a trans-vaginal morcellator for total laparoscopic hysterectomy; from clinical functionality assessment to first prototype

Soft tissue dissection with an ultrasonic snare and the quantification of thermal spread

Thermal spread is the extend of lateral damage resulting from soft tissue dissection by means of an energetic surgical instrument. Both a true definition of this factor, and a consistent means to quantify it, are still lacking. This study attempts to standardize thermal spread by 1) listing the relevant medical, technical, and statistical...

Duoflex: Development of a New Multi-Steerable Laparoscopic Instrument

Laparoscopic surgery is a technique in which operations in the abdomen are performed with long slender instruments through small incisions (5-10 mm). Single port surgery is a form of laparoscopic surgery with possible advantages in which the surgeon operates almost exclusively through a single incision. In order to compensate for the limited...