Design for Notes: a new vision of a Flexible Endoscopic Platform

In the continuous quest for better surgical treatment, reduction of physical trauma, faster postoperative recovery and better cosmetic results, technological progress and the evolution of several diagnostic and therapeutic techniques have led to the rapid development of mini-invasive techniques that use the human body's natural orifices and thus completely eliminate all types of incision. One of these techniques is NOTES (Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery), a surgical technique that accesses the peritoneal cavity and thorax through natural orifices without generating any scars. The purpose of this research is to develop innovative technological tools for mini-invasive surgery through an interdisciplinary and user-involved approach. The goal is to improve interaction with the surgical tool, physically as well as cognitively. This allows the development of solutions that meet the needs of the surgeon and the medical team, and ultimately is for the benefit of patients and the evolution of medical science. This paper will introduce the reader to the challenges in undertaking a user-centered design approach for design of medical equipment. Based on the considerations above, this project was decided to undertake an innovative research exploring the surgery world in terms of design to find effective and innovative design solutions through multidisciplinary collaboration between the Laboratory PUL (Product Usability Lab), Biodesign Lab of the INDACO Department, Politecnico di Milano and the AIMS Academy (Advanced International Mini-invasive Surgery) of Niguarda Hospital. The research objective is to provide new scenarios and guidelines for the design of flexible surgical platforms. The overall approach was a user-centred and user-involved design process with use of structured methodologies stemming from the design discipline.