DEVELOPING AN ELECTRONIC PEN NEEDLE HOLDER USED IN MICROSURGERY

Abstract

The concept of electrical integrated with surgical instruments (EISI) was first introduced by one of the authors of this paper. It aims to add electronic chips to classical surgical instruments to facilitate the surgeon's work during operation. Another concept called Penization is also utilized to redesign the instruments into pen-like ones to have 360° control by the surgeons' hands. This concept results in the production of the so-called pen needle holder. We tried to add an electrical chip to this innovative needle holder design to solve the problem of passing the needle through hard tissues in delicate microsurgical work, especially in neurosurgery. Method: A hybrid electronic circuit was added to the newly designed needle holder. We designed a circuit with built-in motors to facilitate the pen needle holder's work on tough tissue. The design respects the so-called tunnel principle, which states that we can add any material or devices within the surgical instrument that are not in contact with the organic tissue. The system depends on a pressure sensor circuit located just beneath the index tip of the surgeon so that whenever he has tough tissue, the pressure on the sensor through his index finger will increase to a certain amount; it will stimulate uni-direction vibrators, which will push that tip of the needle holder Onwards. The electrical motors will stop spontaneously whenever resistance stops as the needle passes through the tissue; ten neurosurgeons use this integrated surgical instrument. They answered a special questionnaire designed to compare the use of this pen needle hoarder with the electronic vibrators and without it, and the results were encouraging. Conclusion: The newly designed pen needle holder with an integrated electronic chip is approved to facilitate the surgeon's work, especially with hard tissues. It creates an opportunity to develop further innovations by integrating these electrical chips with other surgical instruments.