Contribution
During my internship at the Marketing and Communications Department of Beijing Haidian Hospital, I had the privilege of contributing to the design and patent application "A Gradient Pressure Band for Treating Subcutaneous Emphysema in Thoracic Surgery." This innovative tool was designed in collaboration with thoracic surgeons of the hospital and tailored to address clinical postoperative needs in thoracic surgery.
About Subcutaneous Emphysema in thoracic surgery
Post-lung surgery subcutaneous emphysema is a condition where air becomes trapped in the subcutaneous tissue, the layer of fat just beneath the skin. This typically occurs as a complication following lung surgery which can cause body swelling, severe pain, and in some cases a compressed air way.
（This is a comparison between a normal body and a body with subcutaneous emphysema.)What causes Subcutaneous Emphysema?
Subcutaneous emphysema in thoracic surgery is often caused by surgery, the picture below shows a lung that needs cancer removal surgery.
Before surgery, the normal fat tissue is intact.
During cancer removal surgery, a portion of the lung tissue is removed, leaving an empty space in the chest cavity.
To remove the air in that space, a ventilation tube is placed inside, utilizing negative pressure to assist in gas removal.
Traditional Solution
Doctors and nurses usually address subcutaneous emphysema by using a towel to manually push the trapped gas toward the surgical incision. However, this method is labor-intensive and time-consuming, requiring repeated efforts to prevent the patient from swelling up again.
Design Goal
Develop an efficient and user-friendly solution to manage subcutaneous emphysema by facilitating the effective removal of trapped gas, minimizing the physical effort required by medical staff, and enhancing patient comfort and safety during postoperative care.
（Design Sketch)
How To Use It
3D Render
The Patent Certificate
