Triangle projects case study:

New system to assess surgeon skill

A system which helps surgeons to assess and improve their skill as emerged from the Triangle Projects collaboration between the InnovationRCA at the Royal College of Art and Imperial Innovations.

Called pICSAD (portable Imperial College Surgical Assessment Device), the system requires the surgeon to wear special gloves which incorporate a sophisticated motion tracking system. Hand movements during a surgical procedure are captured with high precision and analysis software calibrates the performance, providing valuable feedback to improve technique and skill.

Inventors at Imperial created a working prototype that received favourable feedback for its functionality, but the components were not integrated into a package that could be easily transported, set up and used outside the laboratory.

This is where a team of industrial designers from InnovationRCA came in. Edward Goodwin and Richard Hartshorn analysed the system and combined all the components into a single portable case.

The resulting system boasts a user-friendly touch-screen interface, clever cable management systems and easy access in a stylish, robust and ergonomic package; pICSAD is now ready to move out of the laboratory and become part of surgeon training in the field.