It must perform three disparate tasks as a balanced, lightweight, beautiful instrument.
Stryker Orthopaedics
Broach Handle
Heavy, overbuilt, all-stainless, hard angled, slippery. Surgeons felt that Stryker’s broach handle was a relic from an era when instruments were (and many still are) exercises in mere functionality. The broach handle is a deceptively tricky instrument since it’s handled in a variety of ways throughout different scenarios. As with any instrument, it should be easy to identify, remove, and pass from its instrument tray between nurse and surgeon; as a reamer, it needs to provide a secure, comfortable grip while wet and under strain; as an inserter, it needs to protect the surgeon during impaction/extraction while providing a generous striking target; it needs to provide an intuitive, easy-to-operate quick-connect for a variety of attachments. And it must perform these disparate tasks as a balanced, lightweight, beautiful instrument that enhances Stryker’s global brand.
Design Problem
Because they take an impact, there is a tendency to overbuild instruments that are used with a mallet. Intuitively this makes sense, except that these instruments often become excessively heavy - this can lead to poor tactile feedback, make it difficult to operate, and result in an expensive instrument.
Surgical Observation
Observing multiple surgical operations was critical to fully understanding just how deceptively complicated this instrument is. In order to function properly, it must also be thoroughly cleaned, so engaging nurses and scrub techs was essential in developing an instrument that performs well even during post-op procedures.
Industrial Design
The broach handle is a tricky instrument since it’s handled in a variety of ways throughout different scenarios. As with any instrument, it should be easy to identify, remove, and pass from its instrument tray between nurse and surgeon; as a reamer, it needs to provide a secure, comfortable grip while wet and under strain; as an inserter, it needs to protect the surgeon during impaction/extraction while providing a generous striking target; it needs to provide an intuitive, easy-to-operate quick-connect for a variety of attachments. And it must perform these disparate tasks as a balanced, lightweight, beautiful instrument that enhances Stryker’s global brand.
Rapid Prototyping
Several viable concepts from the sketch phase were selected for modeling. Foam modeling is an incredibly efficient method for transforming 2D sketches into a physical embodiment of the instrument for evaluation. The handle form, interface, impact surface, overmolding, and even weight-saving strategies can be quickly explored and analyzed.
Functional Prototype
From the foam model evaluation came one superior concept. Using the model as a full-scale, physical reference, engineering developed the instrument in CAD so that a cut-steel, fully functional prototype instrument could be evaluated during a series of cadaver labs.
Production
Within a limited timeline, Humanfactors helped Stryker take their original broach handle from ideation sketch to production. The development process was brief and linear - surgical observation, concept ideation, prototype, production. Surgeons stayed involved over the course of development, validating each design refinement and feature. What resulted is a broach handle that outperforms the instrument it replaced, and is a beautiful instrument that enhances Stryker’s global brand.
