Project Overview

Case: The healthcare industry faces ongoing pressure to reduce costs while maintaining the highest level of patient care. Surgical Concept Designs set out to address this need by creating PositionOR, a unique operating room device that functions as an extra set of “hands” in the surgical field. Launched in early 2009, PositionOR was developed with support from Tri-Power Design (TPD), from initial concept sketches through pre-production development.

Solution: PositionOR is a lightweight surgical positioning system (under 12 pounds) designed for quick setup and breakdown, attaching to the OR table in seconds. The design mimics the motion of a human arm, articulating at wrist, elbow, and shoulder joints, and allows single-handed control by the surgeon. The system provides reliable, steady instrument positioning—even during long procedures—while using less space than a human assistant. Surgeons can deploy 2, 3, or 4 arms simultaneously. PositionOR also incorporates a disposable sterile drape, offering a low-cost alternative to cleaning and autoclaving.

Design Challenges: A key challenge was developing a system that avoided infringement on existing competitive intellectual property (IP). TPD engineers created a novel latching and locking mechanism designed to steer clear of prior IP while enabling innovation. This work resulted in multiple utility patents, with Tri-Power Design engineers named as co-inventors.

Call 973.227.8214 or email us today to learn more about the PositionOR Surgical System.