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Novel instrument for a safer surgical approach

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Creating a novel surgical instrument for use during ulnar nerve decompression surgery

Design Award

  • Tong Biomedical Design Award Winner

Project Overview

Ulnar nerve compression is a common neuropathy of the upper extremities which can lead to extreme discomfort in the arm. For severe cases, surgery is the best option to release the pressure on the ulnar nerve. Two approaches exist for surgical treatment including endoscopic and open surgeries. An issue with the current open surgical approach is that it requires inserting and removing multiple surgical instruments which in the process leads to increased risk of damage for nearby anatomical structures. This project intends to design a device that is one unit which incorporates a dissecting forceps and cutting edge. This will allow for a surgeon to cut the compressing fascia while the ulnar nerve is protected without retracting the surgical instrument. Three designs were created and a design matrix was used to evaluate them. The designs include the ring groove design, the box cutter design, and the pull back design. The final design choice was the box cutter design which consists of a modified box cutter attached to the top of a forceps.

Team Picture

Left to Right: Molly Paras, Logan De Lacy, Peter Wawrzyn, Zach Spears, Srihari Gopalan
Left to Right: Molly Paras, Logan De Lacy, Peter Wawrzyn, Zach Spears, Srihari Gopalan

Contact Information

Team Members

  • Molly Paras - Team Leader
  • Peter Wawrzyn - Communicator
  • Srihari Gopalan - BSAC
  • Zach Spears - BWIG
  • Logan De Lacy - BPAG
  • Kat Tan

Advisor and Client

  • Prof. John Puccinelli - Advisor
  • Dr. Kyle Muckenhirn - Client

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