My senior design group developed MASI (Mechanical Assisted Suturing Instrument) to automate the suturing process for C-sections. Our mechanical device seeks to improve patient outcomes by automating and standardizing the suturing process.

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Our device automates passing the needle back and forth significantly reducing the amount of time required to suture a C-section.

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We broke the project into multiple subsystems that we individually worked on before we integration. The subsystems are  needle gripping, needle transfer, and simultaneous needle release and gripping.

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I specifically developed the two-state pen mechanism enabling the simultaneous release and gripping of the needle via forceps. I also designed and manufactured many of the components.

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We conducted multiple FEAs and analysis to guide our designs. We analyzed the links connecting the arms to prevent buckling and examined the cam-follower mechanism inside of the two-state mechanism to ensure it could withstand the projected life cycle of our device. Finally we sought to incorporate relevant standards for medical devices. 

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