Improving the Ergonomic working conditions of Ophthalmologists: Designing a solution that will improve the long-term wellbeing of Ophthalmologists by improving the physical ergonomics of their daily, work-related activities

In this master's thesis in collaboration with het Nederlands Oogheelkundig Gezelschap (NOG), or the Dutch ophthalmic society, I developed an industrial design concept to improve the ergonomic working conditions of Ophthalmologists.<br/><br/>25% of Dutch Ophthalmologists (surgical eye doctors) have suffered from musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs)...

2 DoF surgical training eye phantom for cataract surgery in a low-cost setting

The human eye is a very delicate yet highly intricate organ, and treatments such as cataract surgery call for meticulous precision. Ophthalmologists hone their skills over years of practice, which they initially acquired during their studies in medical schools. Basic skills such as globe fixation and capsulorhexis training have a very steep...

Hybrid Phaco: Driving circularity in eye surgery with a semi-disposable phacoemulsification redesign

Cataract surgeries using phacoemulsification (phaco) are standard practice, accounting for the large majority of all cataract surgeries. Reliance on sterilization processes has significant environmental implications, giving its energy and resource intensive nature. <br/><br/>This thesis introduces a novel hybrid phaco handpiece design,...

Closing the Wound: an Eye-Opening Mechanism: Development of a Bi-planar Incision Mechanism Used in Vitrectomy

Background: Treatment of eye conditions, such as retinal detachment, macular pucker or macular holes, ask for an intervention named ”vitrectomy”. In a vitrectomy, multiple surgical instruments are brought into the eye, to facilitate removal of the vitreous humor. The instruments enter the eye through trocar ports that are placed in the sclera....

Additive Manufacturing of a Miniature Functional Trocar for Eye Surgery

Stereolithography is emerging as a promising additive manufacturing technology for a range of applications in the medical domain. However, for miniature, medical devices such as those used in ophthalmic surgery, a number of production challenges arise due to the small size of the components. In this work, we investigate the challenges of...

Human error in strabismus surgery: Quantification with a sensitivity analysis

Background- Reoperations are frequently necessary in strabismus surgery. The goal of this study was to analyze human-error related factors that introduce variability in the results of strabismus surgery in a systematic fashion. Methods- We identified the primary factors that influence the outcome of strabismus surgery. For each of the human...