Edwards Lifesciences / Visuflow Blower & Mister Surgical Hand Piece

Project Scope

Definitive Design was contracted to evaluate, recommend and design a new surgical hand piece that would:

• control the amount of flow of CO2 and saline solution used to improve visibility during open-heart surgery
• be easy to use to ensure proper utilization
• reduce fatigue while maintaining accuracy during extend periods of use
• explore new more universal handgrips configurations so the hand piece would allow Doctor’s to have a more individual interaction

Design Process

• conduct ergonomic research
• conduct on-site evaluations to witness operating procedures, interactions between the doctor and his/her operation room environment while determining future test protocols
• gather relevant human factors resources to ensure the new hand piece would conform to the hands
• create a multitude of prototypes for performance usability test to develop the final specification

The Result

Out of the many options explored, we found that a triangular “pen” shaped hand piece with concave finger grips in conjunction with a finger roller clamp proved to be the functionally superior shape. Our test protocols concluded that this design demonstrated the greatest advantage towards comfort, accuracy as well as individual gripping preference. The new Visuflow Blower & Mister Surgical Hand Piece we developed proved to be a dramatic improvement in the operating room, which is continually reinforced buy the surgeons favorable responses.

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