title: Modified trocar with laser diode for instrument guidance.
abstract: Laparoscopic instruments that are newly inserted into trocars are initially outside the surgeon's endoscopic field of view. This can make it difficult to accurately position the instrument at the operative site and presents a potential risk to patients since the tip of the instrument could potentially perforate organs and blood vessels while it is advanced blindly. To solve this problem, I have designed a trocar that incorporates a laser pointer to guide laparoscopic instruments while they are outside the endoscopic field of view. The laser dot is projected along the long axis of the trocar. This allows the surgeon to instantly determine the direction and target of the introduced instrument. Furthermore, the projected laser dot serves as evidence of an unobstructed path from the trocar to the target. This modification improves safety in laparoscopic surgery.
authors.affiliation: 1Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Taufiek Konrad
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Rajab
mesh_terms: D001698:Biomedical Engineering / Q000295:instrumentation; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006804:Ergonomics / Q000295:instrumentation; D006801:Humans; D054023:Lasers, Semiconductor; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013525:Surgical Instruments
keywords: biomedical engineering; ergonomics; human factors study; interventional endoscopy