Preliminary Work

Surgical Tools

These are images of the current tools, uses, and ways they are held.

Pickups Pickups with scissors Retractor Retractor pull from different angle

Large Retractor: Grip 1 Large Retractor: Grip 2 (Grips will change with fatigue of user) Needle Driver: Grip 1

Needle Driver: Grip 2 Needle Driver: Grip 3 Needle Driver with Pickups Needle Driver with Pickups: Grip 4

Needle Driver: Grip 5 Needle Driver: Grip 6 Scalpel Scalpel (Grip 1) with pickups

Scalpel blades: sizes 10 Scalpel (Grip 2) with pickups Scalpel: Grip 2

Scalpel (Grip 2) with pickups and slice cut Electrocautery with pickups Electrocautery with scalpel handle Long scissors grip

Med Retractor: Grip 1 Med Retractor: Grip 2 (Grips will change with fatigue of user) Weitlaner Retractor Arthroscopic scissor tool 1

Arthroscopic scissor tool 2 Arthroscopic scissor tool 1 tip Arthroscopic scissor tool 2 grip

A pilot study was completed to determine the proper load cell(s) for the instrumented surgical tools. It was important to determine the orders of magnitudes of forces and moments.
Image 1 depicts the resultant forces and moments when a force is applied to one side of the forceps, as the other side remains stationary, compressing until fully compressed.

Forceps Compression

Image 2 depicts the resultant forces and moments in a simulation of forceps pulling on skin. To simulate this, a suture was sewn in to the skin. The suture line was then attached to a load cell. The experimenter then pulled on the load cell with one hand while stabilizing surrounding tissue with the other.

Forceps Pulling

Image 3 depicts the resultant forces and moments of forceps squeezing a load cell.

Forceps Squeezing

Image 4 depicts the resultant forces and moments of a scalpel cutting skin. A load cell was mounted to the scalpel at a common gripping location. The experimenter held on to one side of the load cell while cutting to ensure all forces were translated through the load cell.

Scalpel w 15 blade, Cutting