Reusable TrocarsA sustainable alternative to single-use surgical devices.
Emma Rens ('24) and Erica Park ('23), students in the Segal Design Certificate program, were motivated to address the issue of medical waste generated during laparoscopic surgeries. While shadowing a pediatric appendectomy, they observed that waste from a routine, minimally invasive surgery filled three trash cans. Teaming up with fellow Segal Design Certificate students Zeynep Bahsis ('24) and Samira Bulchandani ('24), they set out to develop a design concept to reduce the waste produced during these procedures.
Problem
The healthcare sector in the US is responsible for nearly 10 percent of carbon emissions. A significant contributor to this environmental impact is the use of single-use trocars, the devices used by surgeons to make small incisions and insert surgical instruments during laparoscopic surgeries. While reusable trocars exist, most surgeons opt for the single-use variety, leading to a considerable amount of medical waste.
Solution
The student team's design concept features a reusable trocar seal cap attachment that can be sterilized. This attachment would enable existing reusable trocars on the market to accommodate instruments of different sizes, reducing the need for single-use trocars and the associated waste. The primary goal is to enhance the versatility of trocars, benefiting surgeons by saving them time and money while preserving patient safety.
Current Status
The students' work on this design concept earned them third place in the Natural Sciences and Engineering category for their poster presentation at the Northwestern Undergraduate Research Expo. Rens expressed hope that they can take the design further, as medical sustainability is a critical issue that requires engineered solutions.