Ergonomic design and evaluation of new surgical scissors

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to design a new surgical scissors handle and determine its effectiveness with various usability indices. A new scissors handle was designed that retains the professional grip but has the shapes of the eye rings modified to fit the thumb and ring finger and finger rests for the index and little finger. The newly designed scissors and traditional scissors were compared by electromyography, subjective evaluation and task performance in experiments using cutting and peeling tasks. The newly designed scissors reduced muscle load in both hand during cutting by the closing action, and reduced the muscle load in the left hand during peeling by the opening action through active use of the right hand. In evaluation by surgeons, task performance improved in addition to the decrease in muscle load. The newly designed scissors used in this study demonstrated high usability.

Practitioner Summary: A new scissors handle was designed that has the eye rings modified to fit the thumb and ring finger. The newly designed scissors reduced muscle load and enabled active use of the right hand. In evaluation by surgeons, task performance improved in addition to the decrease in muscle load.

Keywords:

• scissors
• surgical tool
• usability
• product design
• electromyography

Acknowledgements

The authors express their sincere appreciation to Mr Tetsuya Miyatake from Medical R&D, Co., Ltd for providing expert advice about product development, and to Mr Kenji Inoue from Tokosha Co., Ltd for making the experimental model.

Disclosure statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest or financial ties to disclose.

Notes

^1. Email: [email protected]

^2. Email: [email protected]

^3. Email: [email protected]

^4. Email: [email protected]

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by a general research fund provided by Chiba University. No other funding was received.