When Smith + Nephew, the recognized world leader in the world of arthroscopy, decided to develop a new type of RF arthroscopic resection handset, they came to Manta to benefit from the depth of our experience in working with surgeons to understand their needs and integrate these ideas with leading edge technology.

In designing the handset, Manta placed the highest priority on understanding and exploring the ergonomic requirements of the procedures surgeons would be performing. Working closely with the surgeons, our team quickly realized the need for two grip positions to accommodate the wide range of joint access angles and to allow fast and precise tissue sculpting. The handset controls and rotatable tip needed to be readily accessible in both positions. Different grip configurations and control positions were tested using foam models to quickly evaluate the best concepts. Concurrently, precise engineering of critical internal components was done to maximize performance, to ensure robustness and to simplify manufacturing.

Manta worked as an extension of S+N’s internal design team, completing the project in record time and meeting critical market introduction dates. Our responsibility included a complete design of the handset, fabrication of prototypes for testing, and the complete coordination of outside manufacturing and assembly.

Manta involvement:
Industrial Design
Ethnographic Research
Ergonomics
Mechanical Engineering