Abigail Yerger

Industrial Design, 2019

Pleurx is a medical device designed in partner with the OhioHealth Grant Medical Center in Columbus Ohio as a collaborative capstone team. The goal of this 2 semester project was to research, identify, and solve issues with the current Thoracostomy procedure, as there is a recognized 25-30% complication rate nationwide. Thoracostomy is a procedure to remove dangerous fluid or air from the cavity surrounding the lung.

The first problem found in research is that the current device used does not have the necessary components to do the procedure well, and instead encourages misuse, which results in higher complication rates. The second main problem is that as the surgeons need to put their hands inside the body to place the tube and sweep the area, but due to different combinations of patient body size and surgeon hand size, the procedure becomes understandable. 

Pleurx is custom made to assist surgeons place tubes inside the body quickly, easily, and with high precision. It is one device that dissects and places the tube in any chosen direction, removing unnecessary steps that make the procedure more difficult and dangerous.

Abigail Yerger is a graduating industrial designer from Philadelphia, PA. She found her passion for design in combining love for problem solving and the need to make a positive impact on the world. Her focus is on social, environmental, and health related issues.

View more of her work at here

Contact at acfyerger@gmail.com