An Opening in the Abdomen

An Opening in the Market:

Fascia Tensiometers

GROUP 2:Martha IngramMegan

JohnstonChelsea Samson

What Is a Hernia?

Laparoscopic

Open

•Adjustability in width of coverage•Sterilizable

•Easy to use by the surgeon•Easy to read display of the tension•Withstand moderate tension levels

from the surgeon and abdominal wall•Reusability to reduce long-term cost•Measure the magnitude of tension

across the abdomen•FDA compliant

Current Contemplations…

• Consult with Surgeons

• Observe procedure

• Preliminary Designs

• Consult with Dr. Bradshaw

Advice

• Revise/recreate designs

• New Design Build (machine shop)

Create• Lab View• Risk Assessment• Test on materials to be

determined to simulate use in OR

Assessment

Final Product!

•Test in Surgical Lab•Analyze performance•Document assessments and improvement goals•Present in Spring Showcase for 272/273

Our Environment:20-30cm diameter

~314cm2

Need to be able to allow needles and forceps to maneuver around device

Sterile

Procedures are not delicate

Goals of this Tool: 1st—research gather data to obtain curve for determining relationship between success rate and fascia tension• Tool needs to be easily removable and not impede surgical progress

2nd—interoperative planning tool• Need fast accurate readings with little fluctuation• Easily sterilized and reusable given large demands of operative procedure• Ease of placement and reading

Units?• Fascia tension has never

been measured• Have only vague idea of

magnitude of tension• Have no concept of units• Newtons or pounds

force?• Eventually want graph of

tension and percent recurrence

• Then units are not important – use graph to make decisions

0 10 20 30 40 50 600

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Hernia Recurrence

Tension (N)

Perc

ent R

ecur

renc

e

Other Issues• Gear system– Crank close– Release system– How much torque?– How big lever arm?

• Sterilization– Digital display

• Material– Surgical steel

τ = r x F

Future Work• Meet with Dr. Alan Bradshaw for

consultation on gastric mobility• Observe hernia repair surgery• Continue to finalize initial design• Construct first design• Design circuit in LabView