Project Title: Versatile Bronchoscopy Forceps
Team: Flexysnip
A DEDICATED and EFFECTIVE team.
Our team, Flexysnip, was charged by the Hershey Medical Center to design a Versatile Bronchoscopy Forceps. This versatile forceps will enable the bronchoscopist to access otherwise unaccessible polyps on the lining of the lung for biopsy. This enhanced biopsy ability will aid the doctors in diagnosing the presence of lung cancer within the patient much sooner than the former forceps design, there by helping to save lives. 
Team Flexysnip was brought together within the Penn State College of Engineering for the completion of a project. This project, to design a versatile bronchoscopy forceps, was submitted to the team by Dr. Bascom and Dr. Tucokovic of the Hershey Medical Center.
Dr. Bascom and Dr. Tucakovic have asked the team to redesign the current forceps being used in the bronchoscopy procedure. The goal is to produce more versatile forceps that can bend to more easily remove tissue for biopsy. The team will accomplish this through both a technical and management approach.
The team first recognized the needs of Dr. Bascom and Dr. Tucakovic. Once the need were recognized the team then defined the problem. This was done by translating the need into a statement that proposes how to satisfy that need and involved a goal, objectives, and constraints. It was then necessary to properly plan the framework for the project in order to complete the project on time.
Once the timeline for the project was completed background research was done to gather the information necessary to develop an effective product. This information was used to develop several possible solutions that would satisfy the needs of the project. The possible solutions were then proposed to Dr. Bascom and Dr. Tucakovic and were then assessed to determine the most effective solution. The final solution was then be implemented.
The team has come up with a solution to the problem that has been presented to us by the doctors at the Hershey Medical Center. Using antagonistic wires we were able to manipulate the end of the forceps to obtain the bending that the doctors wanted for the design. A picture for this design is right here on the page and can be viewed closer.
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Fall 2005 ME415W & Team Members of Flexysnip
Team Members: Lauren Thomas, Stan Fast, Chris Smith, & Rob McKelvey.
Faculty Coach: Dr. M. Frecker, Associate Professor Mechanical Engineering.
Date of Project Presentation: December 8th, 2005
Penn State - Engineering
