Design and Development of a Minimally Invasive Bone Wax Applicator

Insight Surgical Instruments, LLC Engineering, 2010-11

Liaison(s): Ajay Shah ’06, Jeff Manassero ’07
Advisor(s): Elizabeth Orwin
Students(s): Cassie Nguyen (TL-S), Matthew Phillips (TL-F), Tim Challener, Kristen Schunter (F), Annie Jensen (S), Vincent Pai (S)

Surgeons performing minimally invasive spinal surgeries often have to cut away bone to reveal the operation site. The bone, being living tissue, bleeds into the work site and often hampers the surgeon’s vision. Bone wax is used to block the bleeding. Current wax application methods are rather crude, so the team has designed and created a minimally invasive bone wax applicator to facilitate this process.