Nitin designed FOXPAT, a reusable training simulator for knee replacement surgery.
The learning curve for novice surgeons is approximately 25 operations to become proficient in knee replacement surgery. The aim of the project was to create a training tool for surgeons to more realistically experience the implantation of an Oxford Cementless Partial Knee Replacement (PKR).
The project was carried out in two distinct phases. In the first phase of the project, a rapid prototype was created and tested with a group of users. This helped to understand the practical requirements of the product. The research undertaken, combined with the feedback from the first phase, was used to develop a final manufacturable design. The first phase can be seen as part of the ‘discovery’ phase for the larger diamond. The discovery phase also took into account other research inputs to define the final product. Thus, a concrete product definition was established before the final design was developed.
Foxpat is a physical simulator of a patient’s knee with integrated sensors, de- signed to provide a realistic experience of the surgical procedure for novice surgeons. The sensors track the use of instruments and provide feedback to the surgeons on their results. Foxpat can be reused multiple times by replacing a set of low-cost polyurethane bones after each training session. The product is designed for training sessions that take place in a conference room or hospital, with a training support team or local technician setting up the device.
