SANTA MONICA, CA - Surgeons will soon have a more user-friendly tool when performing laparoscopic procedures, thanks to the work of HFES member Susan Hallbeck and a group of engineering students at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln.

            The Intuitool, unveiled in April 2005, reduces physical stress on physicians. Unlike other instruments – essentially surgical tools on a stick – it is designed for one-handed use and features an articulating grasper that can be controlled simply (intuitively, hence the name) by moving the control sphere in the direction in which the physician wants the grasper to move. Patients are likely to benefit too, because surgery time can be shortened when surgeons don't have to take brief breaks to reduce hand and arm strain.

            Since the introduction of laparoscopic (minimally invasive) surgery in 1990, surgeons have complained of pain, numbness, and tingling as a result of using conventional tools, which often must be manipulated from outside the body through small incisions using both hands. Surgeons must use pressure and awkward finger, wrist, and arm positions (such as depicted in the picture above). Existing tools are designed for right-handed users, causing lefties even more discomfort as they attempt to adapt. They are "one size fits all" devices, despite wide variations in hand sizes among physicians.

            The Intuitool may be used by left- and right-handed surgeons. It features a comfortable, contoured grip and an optimal angle that helps to ensure accuracy in pointing tasks and relieves stress on the wrist and shoulder. Its articulation mechanism enables users to rotate the grasper up to 120 degrees and pivot it up to 60 degrees from the shaft.

            Physicians from the University of Nebraska Medical Center collaborated and provided critical input to aid the design team, both in early surveys and tests of the final prototype. The collaborative design process was beneficial not just for the doctors and engineers who participated but also for the students, who gained valuable experience in "an unbelievable real-world application," Hallbeck said.

            Minneapolis manufacturer Gyrus Medical has licensed the Intuitool, which is patented and trademarked by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The Intuitool awaits approval by the Food and Drug Administration, but judging from responses by the Medical Center doctors and other physicians who have evaluated the Intuitool, it will be very well received when it becomes commercially available.

Please address inquiries to HFES Communications Director Lois Smith, 310/394-1811.