Surgical Instrument

A woman with short hair wearing a face mask and black parka is sitting with a laptop in her lap in a room with tables and a thorax model

Overview

Note: In compliance with my non-disclosure agreements, I have omitted confidential information about this project.

Goal

This large-scale, multi-year project invented a new instrument for thoracic surgery. The goal of the UX component was to ensure each iteration of the instrument got better at meeting surgeons’ needs to ultimately improve how surgeons perform thoracic procedures.

Method

Iterative study with 5 thoracic surgeons of varying experience levels (participants provided by client’s network):

  • Interviews

  • User testing sessions focused on ergonomics, impressions, and usability

  • Surveys

We met with surgeons individually each month and presented them with prototypes to try either in a simulated thorax model, on ex vivo tissue, or in vivo. We then used their feedback to guide the designs of the next iteration of prototypes and brought these to the surgeons to test again.

My Role

  • Wrote the protocols and materials (e.g. session guides, scripts, questions)

  • Conducted/moderated the sessions

  • Took notes and video

  • Analyzed and organized the data

  • Created reports, including results and recommendations

  • Presented results (via video call and screen-sharing) to the client and stakeholders in the United States and Japan

  • Provided UX and human factors input to design sessions and concept reviews

  • Conducted tests on prototypes to determine physical input forces

I collaborated with industrial design, engineering, project management, the client, and an external testing facility.

Impact

The findings provided design direction throughout the invention process, bringing the client closer to creating an effective instrument with the potential to improve both the experience of performing and the outcomes of thoracic surgery.