Ergonomic evaluation and performance of a new handle for laparoscopic tools in surgery.

This paper presents a new handle for instruments used in laparoscopic surgery. This new handle has been designed to provide the best ergonomic and usability features required in this kind of surgical interventions. The main novelty of this handle is that the opening and closing motion of the end-effector is operated with the thumb using a lever located on the top of the handle.

Using infrared imaging for assessment of muscular activity in the forearm of surgeons in the performance of laparoscopic tasks.

Surgeons working in laparoscopic surgery are subjected to hard working conditions because of the poor ergonomic characteristics of the workplace. The improvement in the working conditions requires the use of reliable techniques for the assessment of muscular activity. In this article infrared imaging is used and compared with electromyography for the evaluation of muscle activity in the performance of laparoscopic surgical tasks.

[Evaluation of variety and quality in the school menus of Asturias. 2015/2016].

Objective: Since the first evaluation in 2011 of the "Healthy Eating and Ecological Production Program in School Meals of Asturias", the improvement of the menus has been analyzed in terms of frequencies in the food group offer. The objective of this study was to evaluate the culinary quality of the menus, in order to complement this analysis.

Methods: Transversal descriptive study with a sample for convenience of the 243 Primary Education centers of Asturias, that is, 195 in the 2015-16 academic year.

A study of the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in surgeons performing minimally invasive surgery.

Introduction: Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has shown significant benefits for patients and healthcare systems. However, due to the poor ergonomic adaptation of operating rooms and surgical instruments, most surgeons suffer from pain caused by musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

Methods: A descriptive survey on MIS surgeons working in different surgical specialties has been carried out in Hospital Valdecilla (Spain).

Design and evaluation of a new ergonomic handle for instruments in minimally invasive surgery.

Background: Laparoscopic surgery techniques have been demonstrated to provide massive benefits to patients. However, surgeons are subjected to hardworking conditions because of the poor ergonomic design of the instruments. In this article, a new ergonomic handle design is presented.