SafeTuck Patient Positioner
HOW MIGHT WE
design a device to prevent injury to patients from uncontrolled limbs during surgery?
Project developed at VitaTek over 2 years. Project went from concept generation to production and distribution.
Role: Principle Designer and project lead
The Problem
“It is not uncommon to pull up the drape and find a purple arm. It happens all the time” – Dr. Larry Volz
Patient limbs slip from operating tables during surgery leading to patient injury such as limb blood loss, broken or bruised limbs
An unmet hospital need
Current solutions are time consuming to set up and ineffective
Towel Wraps
Time consuming
Arm Guard
Ineffective
Product Requirements
Device prevents limbs being dislodged
Device includes soft material to prevent pressure injuries
Device can fully incircle a patient's wrist
Device is durable enough for repeat use in an OR.
Device can be cleaned between procedures.
Concept Development
Multiple directions were explored through sketching and prototyping. A tension friction locking design was chosen to achieve the desired rigidity.
Developed different actuation methods to create the needed travel in the cable and tested them for ergonomics and user factors.
PolyJet resin printed parts, FDM printed parts, and bicycle parts were combined for the initial prototypes to evaluate the designs.
Design For Manufacturing
Assembly Design
Final Design
Simple. Safe. Secure
A versatile tool to fit in any OR setting
Simple
Pull the handle to easily reposition the arm
Clamp handle to lock the device in a rigid position
Safe
Soft silicone sleeve covers a thick memory foam pad for patient safety and comfort
Sleeve is easy to clean and replace
Secure
Mechanism is robust and designed to last during daily OR use
Firmly holds arms and legs in place to prevent injury
Project was developed at VitaTek in a collaboration with Dr. Larry Volz, Diatomic, and my VitaTek Team.