Erdmann Design medical device case study Stryker QuikDrive

Erdmann Design’s distinctive and innovative services, based on Human-Centered Design (HCD)  concepts, have been successfully applied to the development of medical devices and life-sciences technology, where usability and end-user experience are key success factors.

This work in the fields of healthcare and medical technology has involved deep immersion in leading-edge issues, such as AI research, surgical simulation, robotic and navigated surgery, patient outcome analysis, patient-centric and home care delivery models.

These capabilities come together in the shaping of successful medical device designs such as the award-winning Stryker QuikDrive cordless OR screwdriver for surgical use.

Stryker QuikDrive design brief

Stryker is one of the world’s leading medical technology companies offering a diverse array of innovative products and services in orthopedics, medical, surgical, neurotechnology and spinal therapies that help improve patient and hospital outcomes. Stryker is active in over 100 countries around the world.

The project began in May 2005 with the intention to build a battery powered screwdriver for surgical theatre use in fitting the tiny 1.2mm to 2mm Stryker screws used in bone implants in neuro-, craniomaxillofacial and hand surgery.

Handheld surgical instruments need to be ergonomically optimized to perform at their best. Furthermore, this screwdriver needed to be operable by surgeons wearing gloves and with slippery hands.

The screwdriver needed to be cordless, delivering high tightening and releasing toque from a very compact motor and battery, while also being ambidextrous in operation, lightweight and compact.

Finally, it had to be made from materials that were inherently hygienic and capable of undergoing repeated sterilization cycles.

Erdmann Design solution

The Erdmann Design team for the Stryker QuikDrive project was led by founder Raimund Erdmann and the Engineering- and HCD-Team. It was immediately apparent that the design needed to reflect actual operating room practice and surgeons’ needs. An early observation was that unlike most cordless screwdrivers, the QuikDrive would be held in the so called pencil grip or precision grip. The Erdmann-Team studied numerous products that are handled in the same way and developed design concepts that they verified with different surgeons in order to gather feedback and further design input. Shape studies were based on Human Scale documents from NASA.

The design effort also involved immersion in battery and propulsion technologies and the demands of surgical conditions.

The final solution was a reduced pencil-shaped form tapered at the tip to allow the surgeon free vision within the operating area, freedom of movement and a very precise mode of operation in difficult applications.

A highly ergonomic mode of operation uses two buttons for clockwise/anticlockwise rotation. The buttons also function as force sensors with rotation speed and torque varied by finger pressure. This functional interface and button technology provided the most challenging aspects of the entire program.

The surface texture of the instrument’s casing was optimized for use with rubber gloves soiled during surgery, while the milled aluminum parts and anodized Injection molded battery pack allow easy cleaning and sterilization.

Project success

Finalized in August 2007, the Stryker QuikDrive has been adopted in many surgical theatres and Operating Rooms.

The screwdriver gained many Design Award in the Medical Devices and Medical Equipment Design Category also for the 2017  awards.

Resources

Click on Stryker QuikDrive to view A’ Design Award citation.
Click on Experience Mapping for Human Centered Design to download PDF.
Click on Erdmann Design Thinking as a standard for medical design brochure.