Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI), also known as Work-Related Upper Limb Disorders (WRULD), surged in the early years of this millennium due to computer work. In this thesis, the magnitude, causes and consequences of this phenomenon for the student population of the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering (IDE) at the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) are investigated and described. Longitudinal surveys on RSI amongst IDE students over a 15-year period (2000-2014) show the trend in prevalence and severity of the complaints. From the year 2000 to the present, a multidisciplinary RSI prevention group is active to create awareness, provide information and practical sessions. The organised prevention activities and their scientific basis are introduced and discussed. Furthermore, ideas for products and product-service systems, aimed at preventing or reducing RSI and based on medical insights and understanding of RSI risk factors, are presented. These ideas, developed in IDE master graduation projects and one from industry, are evaluated in user tests and physiological experiments with potential users.

The knowledge and insights gained in this thesis are not only valuable for design students to realise healthy computer working, but also for other educational and professional computer workers.

Purpose
As a result of the worldwide aging population, Vertebral Compression Fractures (VCF) are commonly detected in osteoporotic patients; these can originate from traumatic events or occur spontaneously. The existing VCF devices and their corresponding surgical instruments have their limitations in terms of short- and long-term performance, efficiency, safety, and complications. Amber Implants has developed an innovative new Titanium Implantable Vertebral Augmentation Device (TIVAD) that overcomes the shortcomings of the available state-of-the-art VCF devices. However, the specific surgical instruments required for the insertion and deployment of the TIVAD are yet to be developed.

Methods
A knowledge-driven iterative design process that includes extensive theoretical and empirical research together with spine surgeons, concept development, and experimental verification phases has been executed.

Results
The outcomes of the experiments have shown that the final TIVAD inserter and expander met the predefined requirements regarding efficiency, mechanical properties, and usability. These results lead to a significant contribution to the overall TIVAD procedure.

Conclusions
To summarize, it can be stated that the essential surgical instruments, the TIVAD inserter, and expander, enable the surgeon to insert and deploy the TIVAD to relieve the patient from its pain sensation and to restore the adequate spine curve while reducing the number of surgical steps, the overall surgery time, and thus costs. Additionally, the risk of infection and pulmonary embolisms is decreased significantly due to the TIVAD’s non-PMMA minimally invasive surgical procedure.

Objective: To develop a steerable neuroendoscopic instrument (SNI) based on user requirements found by several means of user research, and to evaluate this instrument on usability and safety. Only 5% of the potential intraventricular neuroendoscopy (INE) cases are currently treated with endoscopy. For the other 95%, an endoscopic approach is impossible, due to the risk of damaging the surrounding tissue by movement of the endoscopic system, needed to reach the affected areas inside the ventricles. A hand-held SNI is theorised to overcome these problems. Methods: A human-centered design (HCD) approach was taken to come to engineering solutions. Expert interviews, surveys and secondary research were performed to acquire the design input. Intermediary prototypes were developed and tested. For the final experiment, 10 participants, of which one neurosurgeon, performed a task in a box trainer. The endoscope was equipped with markers, used to evaluate the movement of the endoscope during the test by means of video analysis, comparing a rigid instrument and the new prototype in a two-tailed paired T-test. Usability was measured through a questionnaire. The spans between digit 1-2, 2-5 and 1-5 of the dominant hand of the participants was measured. Results: A biopsy forceps with a shaft length of 290mm, with a laser-cut articulating portion of 14mm and maximum bending of 40° was developed. Handle dimensions were based on a grip between the distal phalanges and the thenar area of the palm of 10th percentile hand measurements to enforce a stable grip. Significantly less non-angular movement than in the old instrument(p=0.009) was observed. Angular movement reduction was significant in one direction (p=0.032) but not in both (p=0.063). The handle prototype is slightly too large. The forces on the controls were comfortable. No relationship was detected between the finger span measurements and the usability score per participant. Conclusion: The prototype consists of a handle design based on human factor guidelines and multiple user evaluations, and an articulate tip based on DEAM’s technology, now with dimensions optimised for INE biopsy and ETV. Safety is improved by significantly limiting movement in the system during use.

Virtual Reality glasses are being used in hospitals in order to combat pain and anxiety. These glasses are consumer products however. This project aims to find a feasible solution by designing a custom product that replaces the problems diagnosed in the current product and that enhances the user experience.

When breast cancer is detected early, and is in the localized stage, the 5-year relative survival rate is 100%. (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2019) There is a survival advantage in detecting breast cancer early and treating it quickly (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2019; Cancer Australia, 2004, updated 2009; McDonald, Saslow, and Alciati, 2004; National Breast Cancer Foundation, 2019). Clinical Breast Examination (CBE) is a method which can fast track symptomatic women with a breast lump to scarce medical specialist resources to speed the investigation into their putative cancer and facilitate early treatment if needed. Yet too many medical students and doctors feel they could improve their skills in clinical breast examination. Realistic breast models will help the necessary training (Saslow et al. 2004). But knowing what skills need to be transferred and how to design physical breast models are very different things. What are the important skills in identifying and discriminating breast masses by touch and how do simulation models and a validated testing tool assist skill acquisition? Here’s a good example of the creation and development of a successful design from the following brief: to make physical breast models realistic enough to be integral to training and a subsequent testing package, where medical personnel acquire, maintain and improve the skills required to detect possible breast cancer by palpation.

This report contains the entire process of the graduation project of the Industrial Design Engineering master, Integrated Product Design at the TU Delft. This project is a cooperation between me, Emmylou Hoppe, and the company CrossGuard and the TU Delft. The goal of this project was to gain knowledge about current shin protection in use during field hockey and apply this together with design and production techniques used at CrossGuard. The result is a superior ergonomic redesign of the current shin guards including a new part: the knee pad.The report has six phases; the introduction is a dive into the assignment and its context; the analysis is a closer look at the sport, its players and the market; the design brief in which all the data is interpreted and translated into usable criteria for the design; the synthesis is a combination of the ideation and conceptualisation phase in which the conclusions are applied in a design; the embodiment explores the chosen concept and details all aspects of the concept; and finally the reflection looks back at the process, progress and goals set in the beginning. During the introduction, the focus was on exploring the scope of the project. Finding a good place to begin and exploring the context of the assignment. At the end, specific project and personal goals were set and a planning was formulated to guide the process towards success.The analysis phase consisted of research into all aspects of the project. The goal was to be able to answer most of the research questions at the end of it. First the leg physicality was researched, finding weak spots and studying the geometry using 3d scanning. Secondly the target group was set and researched, using questionnaires and interviews. This concluded in a clear vision of what the consumer wants. The interaction with the current products and the current products themselves were benchmarked based on predefined aspects and tested for their efficiency in those aspects. Lastly the current sizing system was researched and a new sizing system was advised based on gained insights of the physiology and 3d scans.To conclude the analysis phase and to provide a guideline for the project the design brief was formulated using a vision: The shin guard should feel like a indestructible second skin. Protecting the sensitive areas, while not obstructing any movement nor causing any discomfort. And a challenge: To design a shin guard that provides the highest possible protection for the lower leg with modular options for specific situations, without compromising comfort nor maneuverability. In the design brief the criteria to validate the product are also set out, together with trends in this specific scope that can inform design decisions.The synthesis phase is the combination of the ideation and conceptualisation phase in which the found data will be applied towards a shin guard redesign. Rapid prototyping techniques to iterate between working on paper and having a physical prototype to try out were valuable to the success of this project. It allowed the combining of separately used solutions from different applications towards a single concept in the end. The final concept was chosen from a set of three, with a different focus point which their designs build on.The final phase in the design was the embodiment of the chosen concept into a product, the Ergo Pro shin & knee guard, looking at production techniques, material solutions and building a functioning prototype were central to this chapter. To validate the success of the Ergo Pro, it was benchmarked against existing solutions, tested with a regular player and an interview with an expert user was performed. The conclusions and improvement points were written down. A small roadmap for the company on how to introduce this product into the current market marks the end of this project.The reflection looks back at the process and the success of the final product, seeing if there are aspects that need more attention or if mistakes were made. Any other notes about the project will be made here as well.In the end the prototype testing validated the concept and the Ergo Pro shin & knee guard is a feasible product, which meets the goals and criteria set in the earlier chapters.

3D Digital Human Models (DHMs) provide industrial designers 3D and 4D information on the dimensions of the human body and its range of motion. Current models are based on outdated data from research on military populations making them unrepresentative for civilian populations. Available DHMs require experience to properly use them, are vague on what they represent and positioning them is demanding.
3D scanning is gaining importance in the field of human factors engineering as personalized products can accurately be formed to match the users body and movement. Examples are the Exo-L, MeshLingerie and numerous cast- and prosthetic designs.
Measurements extracted from 3D scans are currently equal or better than measurements done by hand, offering a quick and easy way to renew outdated data. yet no translation of 3D scans into DHMs has been made.
In order to create an easy to use, intuitive ergonomic tool based on full body 3D scans, the medium of Virtual Reality (VR) was chosen. VR has proven itself an intuitive computer interface, promising for the handling of a 4D DHM, as well as increasingly affordable.
Based on a literature study and field research requirements for a 4D DHM were put up. A functional prototype was built based on the found requirements and results from creative sessions.
The effectiveness of the new tool was investigated through usability research. From this research it can be concluded that 3D scans can be used for creating 4D DHMs and that VR is a good medium to position such DHM for ergonomic assessment. All eight participants succeeded in positioning the DHM to their liking within ten minutes after first introduction to the tool.