My aim was to make the bronchoscope as easy to use as possible. That is important mainly when many surgeries are done per day, considering the safety of both the patient and the operating doctor.
The shape
I started by defining what the shape of the bronchoscope should be, as the greatest aspect affecting other decisions. I figured it out by clay modelling since the start, letting the shape adapt to what seemed the most comfortable for the arm. I ended up with an organic shaped that's easy to be copied by the palm and fingers, and that isn't hard to handle during multiple long usages per day.
When placing the buttons that operate the machine, I followed the natural position of the fingers. That allows the use the least pressure possible, which makes the bronchoscope more effortless to use.
The handle used for hanging the bronchoscope to dry also functions as an element that secures doctors finger in place, and that gives more freedom to movement of the fingers when using other surgical tools. It also allows the doctor to hang the bronchoscope during the surgery when needed.
The cables
I placed the cables in such way so that it allows the doctor to move around the patient smoothly, while being limited the least.
The main difference to the contemporary design is the placement of the cables - instead of leaving one of them up (which restricts the doctor in movement), I have placed both of them to the down part, while minimising the need of having to adapt to their position.There is a little hole in the upper part, leaving space for the suction valve, and another hole in the bottom part for the tools to be placed easily in the operating cable that leads to the patient's lungs.
The lever
I picked placement of the lever that operates the camera at the end of the bronchoscope on the top front side, so that it is operated by thumb - the strongest finger in the opposition, instead of the current design's operating by index finger, which wasn't the most efficient way.The lever is in the shape of a ball with a little pit for the finger to lay in comfortably, without sliding.