Design of abdominal retractor.

Area of Science:

• Surgical Instrumentation
• Medical Device Design

Background:

• Conventional surgical retractors often require multiple personnel.
• Surgeon comfort and instrument manipulation are critical during abdominal surgeries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and design an innovative abdominal retractor.
• To enable single-person operation with one-handed instrument fixation.

Main Methods:

• Designed a simple truss structure for the retractor frame.
• Utilized rapid prototyping for testing various fixation systems.
• Manufactured the retractor from stainless steel.

Main Results:

• A user-friendly abdominal retractor was successfully developed.
• Standard surgical instruments were modified for compatibility with the fixation system.
• Additional devices like lamps and video cameras were integrated.

Conclusions:

• The developed abdominal retractor is user-friendly and efficient.
• Components are easily sterilizable using conventional methods.
• The design enhances surgical comfort and allows for one-handed instrument fixation.