Industrial Design Case Study: A Smarter Medical Drill

The most common surgical implant is a screw; surgeons insert billions of them in patients each year. Screws need holes, and holes need drills. When wielding these drills, "Surgeons currently use their 'feel' to stop on the far side of the bone," writes McGinley Orthopedic Innovations. Because that "feel" can leave a lot up to chance, company founder Dr. Joseph McGinley conceived of an Intellisense Drill Technology. This would "automatically stop the drill motor upon breach of the desired...