Researchers at the University of the Arts develop instrument for heart surgery

A research group at Zurich University of the Arts(ZHdK) led by Laurin Schaffner and Benjamin Josi has developed the foldable surgical tool 3Fold for implanting pacemakers, as detailed in a press release. 3Fold was developed at by Technopark Zurich-based Hylomorph AG has been produced from the biosynthetic material Hylomate. The pacemaker is encased in a Hylomate sheath immediately before implantation and then inserted. Scar tissue on the pacemaker often leads to complications. The coating with Hylomate should eliminate these problems. The procedure is currently undergoing a clinical trial at the University Hospital Zurich. Approval for the market launch is expected in early 2024.

3Fold was awarded this year's Design Prize Switzerland in the Product Design category . According to , the instrument is designed to reduce the application time from five minutes to three seconds. This enormous time saving should not only make the operation more comfortable for the patient, but also significantly more hygienic and therefore less prone to infection. "The project is a statement for the interdisciplinary integration of design in development processes and shows that design has the potential to stimulate and promote innovation in a wide variety of fields," the jury was quoted as saying in the press release

When developing 3Fold, the ZHdK researchers relied on the aspects Define, Develop and Deliver, which originate from the design process. For the definition (Define) of the process, all necessary work steps of the operator were closely observed and analyzed. Initial concepts were then developed. These concepts were analyzed and tested during the development phase (Develop). And in the Deliver phase prototypes have been developed and tested and alternative solutions discussed. ce/ww